Raydor Family: A Beautiful Mess
by the.nerd.voice
Summary: In the 5th installment of the Raydor Family series, Summertime brings about the heat and the tensions between people. The anticipation of new life, a wedding, and an issue at school causes more stress than what one would prefer.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh, come on, Sharon. It's a torn rotator cuff. That doesn't mean I can't do things at work. I can sit at a desk." Andy Flynn reclines on the sofa, his feet resting on a pillow on top of the coffee table, "I can handle the base operations. You can go out to more scenes. I know you miss it."

Sharon Raydor sits at her desk area, scrolling through different emails on the LAPD's messaging system. She remains silent, knowing it drives him crazy. Of course she liked the detective aspect of things, having missed out on it for so many years.

"They've been trying to force Provenza to retire. You can make sure that doesn't happen."

"It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for younger detectives to have a chance to prove themselves within our division." She tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear after it falls into her face, "And Lieutenant Provenza has appeared tired as of late."

"He isn't." Andy grumbles, "Just let me have desk duty."

"You have been out for a total of three days. You are required to be out for three weeks, then are only allowed back provided a medical clearance." Sharon snarls her lip slightly as she reads an email, "So, just enjoy the last bit of summer."

He offers her a pair of sad eyes, "We could go away for a little bit."

"Not any time soon. Since Quinn is so uncomfortable and Tate is working as a teacher at the same school the twins attend, I've offered over my services to go to parent-teacher meetings for them. When I can't go, since you're currently unable to drive, Rusty has volunteered to cover for me."

"You have this all planned out." Andy smirks.

"Plans may get ruined from time to time, but it's nice to have them anyway." Sharon grins, standing from her desk chair and stepping over to him, "Are you thirsty...hungry? I'll make you something before I have to go to the office for a few hours."

"I can make it myself. I've tasted your cooking."

"Oh, hold on a minute." She scowls playfully, placing her hands onto her hips, "It'll tell you what I used to tell my children, it's food, you'll eat it or starve."

He grins a little more, "Yeah, but unlike your kids, I'm a grown adult and I'm capable enough to make my own food."

"That may be true, but I'd really like for you to take a pill before I go." Sharon nods, finally taking a seat, "And after you take it I'd really like for you-"

"Next thing you're going to tell me is that you want me to go over to Quinn's to keep her company until Rusty gets there." Andy watches as she falters slightly, "You were?"

She looks to him, "Well, she's not allowed out of bed and who better than you to enforce that-"

"Your daughter is like you...she is you. She won't listen to anyone, much less me."

"She listens to Rusty." Sharon runs her hand through the man's hair, "I worry about you. If something were to happen and you're unable to reach the telephone, I wouldn't forgive myself."

"Have I mentioned that Quinn is on bed rest?" Andy glances over to her, "And that I probably won't move from here anyway? The ball game is coming on soon. I'll order a pizza and watch. That's all." He leans in, kissing her lips softly for a moment, "The kid can watch too-"

"Rusty..."

"Yeah, and I think that grandson of yours has a talent. You ever seen that kid throw a ball?"

"Of course I have." Sharon can't help but begin to smirk.

"He likes to watch too. It can be a thing for the men." He looks into her eyes, then leans in for another kiss, missing her lips as she moves back.

"So, you're going to leave my bedridden daughter at home, alone, with a bossy toddler?"

"Harper isn't so bad when she's alone." Andy shakes his head, "Besides, Tate will be home soon too. He can come join the ballgame."

"Or you could take this arbitrary celebration of all things baseball over to my daughter's apartment where I'd be less likely to worry." Sharon nods, noticing his hesitation, "Her television is two inches larger than mine."

"Sounds like a great idea then." He grins, "See? You always get what you want."

_Rusty snarled his lip slightly, watching the pair in the kitchen, "The two of you are so gross."_

"_Why are we gross?" Andy glanced over, stirring a homemade tomato sauce he had made to go over pasta. He couldn't help but smirk, amused with the young man's presence having recently returned home from college on the east coast._

"_Just...so lovey dovey. It's weird."_

_Sharon grinned, humming a laugh, "It isn't. I enjoy Lieutenant Flynn's company."_

"_So much so that he's staying here almost every night. I mean, why don't you just move in?" Rusty shook his head._

"_Well-" Andy started._

_The woman turned to face him, "Well? Would you like to move in?"_

Rusty types as he sits on the sofa, a paper for his professor at the local community college. He notices Quinn walk by via the reflexion in his laptop's screen. "You know, bed rest is given for a reason."

"Yeah, they're mostly stupid reasons." Quinn finally gets to the kitchen, opening up a cabinet to pull out a box of salty, cheesy crackers. She places one into her mouth, leaning against the edge of the kitchen island, "Besides, studies show that bed rest may be more detrimental than beneficial anyway." Her mouth slightly full as she chews her food.

"You're the size of a house, I don't know how you even move."

"And here I thought you were going to bring up anorexia concerns."

The young man smirks, "I was thinking, you know how Tate has the thing at school-"

"It's called 'Back to School Night'. Yeah." Quinn picks her head up watching him.

"Think it would be alright if I took the twins to see that new cartoon thing?"

"There's like twenty new cartoon things, Rusty."

"The old people...and the thing..." Rusty shakes his head a little.

"The mockery presented in animated form of the Polish folklore about the bear in the forest hut?" Quinn raises an eyebrow, when he gives her a look, "Ya get a lot of books when you have kids. Most of those books are about fairy tales and folklore...my one friend got me Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and another the complete works of Shakespeare...best books ever."

"Seriously?" He smirks, "So you sat Finnegan down and started reading Midsummer Night's Dream?"

She raises an eyebrow, "And if I did?"

Rusty begins to laugh, "He's going to hate you when he's older."

"Nope, not my sweet boy." Quinn hums a laugh, mostly to herself. "Tell me something, did Mom ask you to come over here to babysit me?" She places another cracker on her tongue.

"No." His tone flat, too flat.

"Are you lying?"

"Yes." Rusty sighs, "Look, she's like...really worried about you and now since her attention is separated between you, work, and Andy's recovery, she feels pretty bad about it. So, if you don't mind me being here, doing this, and completely not bothering you in any way-"

"Rusty, I never said you were bothering me." Quinn shakes her head, "In fact, I rather prefer your presence to that of Mom. At least you don't yell at me to lie down or stay still. She tried to make me use a bedpan the other day. Can you believe that?" She raises an eyebrow, closing the box of crackers and putting them back in the cabinet. "Dad has been calling every night to ask if he has a new grandson or granddaughter. It's pathetically sweet. Keeps me on video conference for an hour every other night."

"You did buy him a tablet computer for that exact reason for his birthday." He nods, closing his laptop, "Want to watch a movie or some terrible television show and make fun of it?"

"Only if it's one of those channels where you can call and order products they're advertising." She walks back over to him, awkwardly lowering herself next to him on the sofa.

Rusty sets his things onto the coffee table, letting his sister get comfortable against him, "When are you supposed to even have that thing?"

"The end of time, I think." Quinn grins to him, "I'm glad you're back home. Have I told you that?"

"Only every day." He takes hold of the remote control, turning the television on.


	2. Chapter 2

Tate picks his head up, maybe an hour or two left in the school day. His class getting a jump on homework with the end of studies for the day. He notices a fellow teacher, hand in hand with his near stepson. He furrows his brow slightly, seeing the instructor's face, "Finn...Miss Ruth...Early, aren't you?"

Ruth, the instructor for the preschool section offers him a cordial, amused smile, while attempting to appear firm in the face of the toddler at her hand, "Yes, well, Finn had an incident with a friend and proceeded to bite him. Usually, we'd handle this on our own terms, but he broke skin...pretty badly."

"He's three, how badly could it be?" He steps closer.

"We had to call an ambulance." She answers quietly, "So, we have to suspend him for a couple days. I don't think he understands exactly what's going on-"

"Sure he does. He's not dumb." Tate shakes his head, picking the boy up and letting him put his head down. "Thanks for bringing him up. I appreciate it."

"I figured it would be better than to call his mother, what with her on bed rest and unable to drive anyway." Ruth offers a smile, "It was such a shock. You usually don't hear much from him and he always plays well with others."

"I'll take care of it. Two days, you said?"

She nods, "That's all." The young woman pauses, rubbing the boy's back for a moment, "Hopefully he'll be better when he comes back. I really am sorry about this, Tate."

"It's alright." Tate nods, watching the woman walk away. He helps the toddler remove his backpack, feeling little arms wrap around his neck, not willing to let him go, "Don't worry, I've got you." He knows that whatever the boy bit his classmate for, there had to be a good reason. However, he couldn't tell his coworker that for fear that she'd brush him off like another parent in denial. He's seen it all the time with his own students. Sixth grade parents are among the worst. Tate notices most of the eyes on him from the class, "Homework, then reading or quietly talking to the person next to you. If it gets too noisy, and you bother my son, I'm kicking all your asses." They always seem to love it when he uses mild swear words. "What's wrong, Finn?" He asks the boy quietly, taking a seat at his desk. He tries to sit the toddler on the desktop, realizing he just wants to be held.

Finn shakes his head against the man, "Nuffin'." He mumbles, his eyes still teary and red.

"Do you want to tell me why you bit your friend?" When he receives no answer, he nods slowly, knowing Harper would be more than willing to fill him in. "How about some juice and animal crackers? I bought the ones with the frosting on top, like you like. Brought them just for you."

The toddler sits up a little, nodding, "Can I share?" He looks to the class, not used to them being there at the same time that he is.

Tate smirks, "You don't have to." The smile grows a bit, knowing something wasn't right about the boy being suspended, he's far too gentle and kind to just randomly lash out like that. He sighs slowly, "I've got to talk to Sharon about this."

"Gigi?" Finn beams, "My see Gigi too?"

He checks his wrist watch, "Well, she's probably busy right now, but I bet you can see her later." He hands him the crackers and juice from his mini fridge in his classroom.

"Thank you." The boy climbs off the desk and walks over to the rest of the kids. There aren't many crackers in the small bag, but what he does have, he offers to the quieter kids, or the ones spending their time doing homework or reading.

_Tate smirked toward the young man, "Rusty, you've got like...seven moves before I capture your queen."_

"_And you got four until I get yours." Rusty grinned, "Or we could just call this and go grab a burger."_

"_We're watching the kids. Their seats are in Quinn's car and she's at work."_

"_Yeah, I know. You should get some seats or something." The young man nodded, "There is a place not far from here. We could totally walk."_

"_Us and a couple of toddlers going and eating burgers, then coming back. That's what you're proposing?" Tate raised an eyebrow, moving another piece on the chessboard, "Why couldn't we just make our own?"_

"_Because they never taste as good." Rusty shook his head, moving one of his pieces as well._

"_You've never had one of mine...besides, we have some ground chicken in the fridge-"_

"_Ground Chicken?" He made a face._

"_Hear me out." Tate held a hand up, "I promise you the greatest homemade burger you've ever sank your teeth into."_

"_Yeah?" Rusty snorted, then tilted his head from side to side, "Prove it."_

Rusty looks over, seeing the toddler girl sitting next to him, "You're very stealthy, Harp."

Harper nods, "I am." She offers him a smile, "What 'telfy?"

The young man chuckles to himself, "Stealthy means you're quiet and can sneak up on people."

"Oh." She nods again, "I am."

Rusty smirks, "So, want to tell me what happened at school?"

"No." Harper's answer simple as she rests her elbow on her knee.

"Well, I kind of want you to tell me. Your brother won't. You guys act like it's Vegas or something." When the girl remains silent, he continues, "Tate told me what your teacher told him."

"Then you know." She holds her hands out, "I don't tell you."

"Why did Finn bite that kid?"

"Vampire." Harper whispers quickly with utmost honesty.

Rusty smirks, attempting to contain a laugh, "Your brother isn't a vampire."

"You don't know." She shakes her head.

"I do know, for a fact, that your brother isn't a vampire." He sighs, "Are you hungry?"

As if on cue, Andy enters the apartment donning his Dodgers jersey and cap, "Let's order pizza and watch some ball. Who's in?"

"Dee!" Harper wiggles from her seat on the sofa next to her uncle. She races over, taking hold of the man's leg.

"Saved by the Flynn," Rusty rolls his eyes to himself, nodding, "Pizza sounds great."

"Good, get whatever you want, a plain for the kids, of course."

"What are you doing here?" The young man raises an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Quinn's holed up in bed with Finn watching TV, but I thought I'd handle the kids for her...handle Harper for her." He corrects himself, smirking.

"She's no trouble. No trouble at all. Are you, Harper?" Andy glances down to the toddler girl, now gripping herself to the man's leg.

"I'm good. Finn bite." Harper nods, smiling up to him.

When Rusty sees a questioning look from the man, he shakes his head, "She's nuts. Let me go see if Pizza is good with Quinn or if she wants something special."

Quinn smirks when she hears Rusty mention her name, she calls out, "You boys aren't exactly quiet. If there's Sausage on it, we're good to go..." She looks down to her son, snuggled up against her. She lowers her voice, "Finn, you seem sad, baby."

"My not."

"Oh? You usually come home and play with Uncle Rusty, but instead you're here with me." She strokes the boy's hair gently with her nails before running her hand over his face, "Do you feel okay?"

Finn nods, watching the television, something about World War II that his mother loves. He doesn't care very much about what's occurring on the television as long as he's able to be close to his mother.

"Did something happen at school?" Quinn continues to watch her son, noticing a nod come from him, "Want to talk about it?"

The boy shakes his head from side to side, "No."

"Did your sister instigate something?" When the young woman receives a blank stare, she rephrases, "Did your sister do something to get you in trouble?"

Finn shakes his head again, "My 'tay home wit' you 'morrow."

"Why don't you want to go to school?"

"My 'tay wit' Mommy." He nods, looking quite certain about it.

"We'll talk it over with Tate since he's in charge of school stuff. Okay?" Quinn kisses his head, wanting to keep him home regardless. "My sweet boy."

Finn sits up, leaning his head onto his mother's clothed belly, "My 'tay wit' baby." He smiles softly toward his mother.

"See, you know exactly how cute you are and know of my inability to turn you down when you smile." She scowls playfully.

He nods, "Tate my Daddy?"

Quinn wasn't expecting that question, nor is she ever expecting any question from her children. Not usually, unless the answer was right in front of them. "Do you want him to be?"

Finn nods again, "Family."

"Is that what you're talking about in school this week?"

"Yep. Baby and you and Harpy and Tate and me. Family."

"That's very true, baby." The young woman listens to her son, "If you decide that something might have happened at school, you can always tell me. I won't be angry, I just want to help you. Okay?" The boy doesn't answer, not that Quinn thinks he would.

_Tate cooked breakfast in the kitchen, sauteing sausage on the stove, "I know you don't like surprises, but what would you say if I-"_

"_I'd say I don't like surprises." Quinn smiled softly to him before moving closer, laying a gentle hand on his muscular forearm, "However, if you maybe wanted to give a hypothetical of what could happen if it were to happen and if I were willing to let said thing happen."_

_He raised an eyebrow, "Ah...that wouldn't be so fun now would it..."_

"_Probably not, but it is what it is." _

_Tate tilts his head from side to side, "Hypothetically, we could go on vacation and-"_

"_Hypothetically, we'd need to worry about the kids." Quinn rests her head against him, watching the frying pan._

"_Hypothetically, your mother and siblings have offered to watch the children...possibly, I mean...it's all hypothetical, right?"_

_She smirks slightly, "Okay. Continue."_

"_And hypothetically, we could get married at whatever little chapel you'd like, and wear whatever we want, and invite whoever you want. If you wanted your family to come, I'd-"_

"_Tate...hypothetically, we don't have all the money for that...especially since we need to worry about another mouth to feed soon. I'd...I'd love to sooner or later, but right now just isn't the time. Besides, it's a first wedding for both of us, right? I don't want to squander that on oversized, uncomfortable dresses, being unable to get crazy drunk, being tired all the fucking time. Does that sound fun to you?"_

_Tate's smile faded a little, "Hypothetically, I just want you to be my wife. I don't care about anything else. I'll wait ten years, I'll wait twenty, but whenever you're ready...that's when we'll go."_

"_You won't surprise me, right?" Quinn asked quietly._

"_No...not without hypotheticals." _

Sharon watches as the parents file out of the young man's classroom. She steps through the door after the last leaves, gently closing it behind herself. Her heels clicking against the linoleum flooring. She looks around the walls, posters of encouragement and drawings by various students, "These are actually quite impressive."

Tate recognizes her voice immediately, looking up with a slight smile, "Did you think they wouldn't be? Pretty sure some of them may be Disney animators someday...if it all doesn't go to computers."

She grins, turning to face him. "How was your meeting?"

He shrugs, "It's mostly me talking. Not too much from parents. Just telling them the curriculum for the year and handing out emergency cards for them to bring back. It's just my homeroom, so...it isn't all that bad. Parents want to get out as quickly as possible. How about you? How was your meeting?"

"Harper is a magnificent painter. Her interpretation of a butterfly is one of sheer brilliance." Sharon watches as the young man chuckles before she continues, "Finn enjoys building things...which he tries to do alone. Teacher says he's a bit anti-social."

Tate nods slowly, catching her drift, "His teacher told you about the biting incident."

She hums her affirmation, "I told her he was disciplined, but...I can't help but wonder why he did it. She said he wouldn't tell her and if I know Finn at all, he's both the most honest and the most open child I know. I would even venture to say that it pains him to attempt to keep a secret."

He folds his arms, "Won't talk to me either. Poor kid is in a bit of a slump."

"Does Quinn know he's been suspended?"

"No...I think I'll just tell her to keep him home a few days so they can spend some time together. Last thing she needs is the stress. She overstresses about everything lately."

"She'll figure it out." Sharon places her hand on his shoulder, "There were drawings from each child of their families. Harper drew herself big and everyone else was smaller...and the baby was sitting on Quinn's head for some reason. Finn had everyone measured, tallest to shortest. Put every single person on there too, even Andy and I." She looks him in the eye, "You're in both of their pictures, Tate. You're a great father and I'm sure Finny will come to you when he's ready. He looks up to you."

Tate blushes, shrugging as a grin appears on his face, "I just do the best I can. No kid should be without a father."

She hums a soft laugh, "I know all about it. You just do the best you can. Kids notice when you do. You probably know that already as a teacher, but it's true at home as well."

He nods slightly, "Tell Quinn I'll be home soon, yeah?"

"Andy ordered Chinese this time around. Rusty sent me a picture. He said it was way too much, but apparently, Andy wanted everyone to have leftovers of their favorite kind."

"How much did he get?" Tate raises an eyebrow.

"Don't even ask." Sharon squeezes his arm as she walks past him, toward the door, "See you at home."


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm not here. You can't see me." Quinn lifts her rice to her mouth using chopsticks. The carton, with writing not in her own tongue on the side, settled between her hands as she stands in the kitchen.

"You could at least sit down." Andy calls to her, his eyes focused on the television.

"Shut up, Flynn. I think you just visit for my awesome electronics." She points her sticks toward him, "Besides, I'm trying to do this quickly before mom comes home."

Rusty smirks toward her, "What makes you think she isn't already on her way up? I mean, that thing started a few hours ago. She's got to be done by now."

The young woman groans, "You're right." She looks down to the container, "And for the record, Andy, you're welcome to my giant television anytime you'd like. I know my sofa is ten times more comfortable than Mom's."

"Sharon's sofa isn't so bad. It's alright once ya get used to it." Andy calls out to her.

"Says you."

Rusty motions for the twins to eat at the table, "Finn, you've got to eat your shrimp."

Finn shakes his head slowly, "Don't wan' it."

"What do you mean you don't want it? That's what you always get and you eat it like crazy." He raises his voice ever so slightly, not in any way yelling at the boy, but just confused for the most part.

The toddler shakes his head again, "Harpy have it."

"I'm good." The girl eats her wontons from her wonton soup with a fork, smiling to her brother. She reaches over and takes his hand, trying to comfort him. When the boy quickly takes his hand from her, she frowns, "It okay, Finny."

"I have an idea, how about Finn and I eat our dinner in my bedroom considering Gigi will be here any moment and I would rather she didn't blow a gasket." Quinn offers, running her hand through the boy's hair when she steps behind him, "How about it, Finn?"

Finn glances up toward his mother and nods, "Kay." He squirms from his booster seat and makes his way to the aforementioned room.

The young woman sighs, returning to the kitchen to obtain the food in question, "Rusty, has he said anything to you about what's bothering him?"

Rusty hates lying. However, he knows a small white lie here and there that actually is better in the long run would be fine for the moment, "Not a thing." Actually, it wasn't a lie, not really. Finn hadn't said a word to him about what happened.

"Someone must know." Quinn raises her voice slightly, hearing the opening of the door. She bites her lip, standing still as if she can't possibly be seen if she doesn't move.

Sharon steps inside more, looking about the room. Andy on the sofa, Rusty and her granddaughter at the dinner table, "Where's Finn?"

"Quinn's room." Andy answers before looking over to her and offering her a smile, "How was the thing?"

"Back to school night was a resounding success. I think." She sighs, "And Quinn, I was able to hear you from outside the door. No use hiding now." When the young woman steps into her field of vision, "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Well, I had to pee, then I had to eat. Figured I'd kill two birds with one stone." Quinn nods, raising her eyebrows and hoping it would be enough information to satisfy her mother.

"If you did things the way-"

"I'm not using a fucking bedpan. I'm not an invalid. I have to move a little here and there to prevent any damage to the nerves in my back or bedsores. Bet you didn't think about that, now did you." The young woman places her hands on her hips, "Don't worry."

"The first school trip is at the end of the week. I'm going as a chaperone since Tate will be with his class and Rusty has school." Sharon removes her jacket, then shoots the young man a look when she notices him attempt to protest, "Which you are not playing hookie for, no."

"I'm an adult, you know." Rusty smirks, watching her.

"Another thing I don't approve of."

_The young man jogged up to his mother's flat. He was thrilled to be moving back home from his former college on the east coast. It just wasn't for him. Not that he didn't have his own friends or the weather wasn't nice, snow was interesting, but it just wasn't home. Ever since Sharon Raydor took him under her wing, he hated being far from her, especially for an extended period of time. _

_Sharon quickly rose from the sofa, moving around to face the door, "Rusty!"_

"_Hey." Rusty offered her a grin, dropping his large military-like __duffel__ bag to the floor she rushed toward him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. Needing his mother close. "It's good to be back."_

"_I thought you were coming next week." She kissed his hair, stroking the spot after as she pulled back to meet his eye, "Who gave you a ride home?"_

"_Tate" He nodded, "I talked to Sam on the plane. He said not to tell you anything because you'd worry."_

"_Sam always thinks I'm worried. Just, eternally worried." Sharon hummed a soft laugh before reaching a hand up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, "I've missed you so much."_

"_Are you sure?" Rusty teased her, receiving a playful hit to the shoulder._

Slowly stepping into her daughter's room after eating dinner on her own and consuming a glass of Cabernet from the back of her daughter's refrigerator. She closes the door behind herself. "Tate and Harper are on the sofa watching television, Andy and Rusty have returned home to my place to play chess. So, I thought it may be the best time to come and see you without an argument."

"Andy knows how to play chess? Quinn raises her eyebrow, glancing over to the woman. Her back propped up to a near sitting position from the pillows behind her.

"Rusty promised him lessons." She peeks over, seeing her grandson asleep, his small body pressed against his mother's side. Sharon offers a smile, "How is he?"

The young woman shrugs slightly, "I'm worried about him. I think he may be depressed."

"Depressed?" Sharon furrows her brow, running a hand through her hair and tucking it behind her ear, "What about?"

"Mother, you know as well as anyone else that there doesn't necessarily need to be a reason to be depressed." Quinn absently licks her lips.

_Sharon returned the gun to the holster at her hip, keeping her hand on it as she slowly walked over to the man she had just wounded. Using her other hand, she touches the radio at her shoulder, "This is Officer Sharon Raydor. I need an ambulance to the back alley of-" She pauses as she searches for the street name._

"_You shot me." The older man looked toward the dark night sky._

"_You left me no choice."_

_He groaned loudly, his hand at the wound in his gut. "Always a choice...always."_

_Sharon bit her lip, shaking her head, "Please, just remain calm." She pressed her hands against his wound, "Paramedics will be here shortly."_

"_Tell my...tell my wife and my kids...tell them I love them. I did this for them."_

"_Stay with me." She picked her head up, able to hear the sound of sirens close by, "Just a little bit longer." Looking back down toward the man's face, she could nearly see the life drain from it, "Please." She pressed her fingers to the side of his neck, feeling a lack of a pulse, "Please." Sharon whispered, closing her eyes as she heard the racing footsteps of the EMTs moving closer, knowing in her heart that he was already gone._

"Someone bought you makeup?" Andy keeps his eyes closed, letting the girl paint his face with her kit.

"Uncle Tam did." Harper answers simply, pausing. She looks to her hand, then to the palette of pastel eyeshadow, deciding to use her fingers as applicators.

"Sam? Does he know you're a toddler?"

"I am big. I go to school and I go potty...mean I'm a big girl." She gently glides her fingers over the contours and soft wrinkles of his face.

"Certainly does." Andy raises his eyebrows, "You got me there."

"Almost done." Harper mumbles, then grins after. "Kay." She backs away a little, having been careful of his shoulder the entire time, which she was equally proud of, as well as the job done to his face.

"Well? How do I look?"

"Very pwetty."

"Got a mirror?" He opens his eyes watching the young girl.

The toddler scurries from the sofa, racing to the bathroom and obtaining the handheld mirror from under the cabinet, taking it to the man.

Rusty picks his head up, able to see the older man's reflexion from his seat at the table. He laughs hard, nearly doubling over, "Here, let me take your picture. Harper, make sure you're in it too." He rises from his seat, stepping over to the pair.

"Harper says I'm pretty, as a matter of fact." Andy gives him a playful look, knowing he appears ridiculous, though not caring in the least.

"You are." Harper quickly climbs onto the sofa once more, standing next to the man with a grin on her face as her uncle captures the moment using his mobile phone.

"I'm so sending this to Provenza." Rusty continues to laugh as he moves away from them.

_Andy attempted to round his shoulder, grimacing._

"_The hells wrong with you?" Provenza scrunched his face slightly, watching his friend._

"_Don't know. Hurts like a bitch though." He groans, shaking his head, "That normal?"_

"_Sign of a heart attack. Liz thought I was having one a while back and she looked it up. One of the things that can happen, a symptom, is pain in the shoulder. Real painful. How bad is it?"_

_Flynn glanced to his partner, "Yeah?"_

"_Go to the damn doctor. If you can't take yourself me or your girlfriend will take you." Provenza gave the man a look, knowing something immensely wrong was wrong with his friend._

"You know, sooner or later, Andy and Mom are going to find out that you contact me." Quinn grins into the tablet computer resting on her belly.

"I'm allowed to speak to whoever I'd like. Aren't I?" Louie Provenza nods into the camera located on the top of his computer, "I mean, we're grown adults."

"You sound like you're asking me out." She chuckles softly.

The older man waves his eyebrows then smirks, "How is it going, kid?"

"It goes." Quinn shrugs, "How about you? How's the office?"

"Quiet, actually. Flynn couldn't have chosen a better time to have his face painted by one of your little ones." He holds his phone up to the camera, hearing her laugh, he continues, "I'm guessing that was the girl who did that?"

"Andy is Harper's favorite person. So...yeah, probably." She nods, "It isn't too much for you though, is it? Being alone and in charge at work."

"Being in charge is never too much for me." Provenza shakes his head.

Quinn rolls her eyes, "You know what I mean, Lieutenant."

"Oh, it's fine. Nothing going on around here anyway. That happens when we get closer to the holidays, as I'm sure you're aware."

"Understandable."

Provenza nods, "We're holding the fort. The Captain needs to focus on other things going on with her home front. We'll call when we need her. Per the usual."

"Sometimes I think you underestimate the importance of some things until it's too late." She arches the corner of her lip, "Don't do that, alright? It's okay to ask for help once in a while. I promise."

"You're on her side." He grumbles.

"I'm not your daughter, I'm not your girlfriend, I'm not...anything. I'm just a concerned citizen. I'd rather you be safe than sorry and not have her in time." Quinn watches the man through the tablet screen, "Got it, Lieutenant?"

"Your mother is my boss, not you." Provenza's look is playful, not at all serious even though he knows all the young woman is saying is true.

"Exactly, and you shouldn't be an asshole to the boss' daughter." She hums a soft chuckle.

"Jesus, you even laugh like her." The man shakes his head, "Alright, I've got shit to do. Talk to you later."

"I'll simply hold my breath until I see your face once more." Quinn coins a mock southern accent, smirking when she notices the Lieutenant chuckle before touching the screen to end the call.

"Who was that?" Tate stands in the doorway, having watched most of her conversation.

The young woman rolls her eyes before tilting her head to look to the man, "My secret lover. I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

"Well, tell him he has a fight on his hands." He begins loosening his tie, sighing, "I hate long days."

"You and me booth. They're all long when you're stuck in bed and Hitler is watching your every move."

"Hitler?"

Quinn nods, "Also known as Captain Sharon Raydor."

"Ah." Tate grins, standing in front of the dresser and removing his dress shirt in front of the mirror, "You really should be nice to her."

"Just because you have a crush on her doesn't mean I can't make fun of her."

"I do not. I only have a crush on one woman." He turns to face her, flexing his bicep to her before noticing the toddler curled up against her side, "Why isn't he in bed?"

"I'm not making him. He's been a nervous wreck and I feel like you all know why and just don't want to tell me." She raises an eyebrow, "Why is that?"

"Maybe he just had a bad day." Tate reaches his hands down, unbuckling his belt before removing his trousers.

"Maybe you're unable to lie to me." Quinn smirks, "Maybe something happened at school that's so serious that you and Mom are in cahoots together to fool me."

"Maybe you're overreacting."

"Maybe he hasn't left my side since dinner. Not even wanting to play. Maybe I'm keeping him home from school just so we can have a quiet day together tomorrow." She sighs softly, "Just tell me what's wrong with my little boy."


	4. Chapter 4

"So, you all thought it was best that you keep that from me?" Quinn shakes her head, "You're all idiots."

"We didn't want the stress to-" Tate begins, looking her over as he takes a seat on the side of the bed.

"To force me into labor? Tate, I'm fine. I'm at the end of this. You can tell me things that may or may not force me into labor because I, honestly, don't care that much. Besides, don't you think the issue may be why he bit his classmate and not just that he did so in the first place?" She adjusts her position on the bed, her eyes never leaving the man as she does so.

He looks away, nodding, "I wasn't thinking about that."

"No, you weren't. I know you're stressed with work and with the kids and with me being stuck in bed, but...honey, I'm not as fragile as I may appear."

Tate smiles a little, "There are a lot of words I could use to describe you and not one of them would be fragile." He looks over, moving closer to her, careful of the small boy still resting on the bed. His lips go to hers, his body hovering over Finn.

"Tate, go bed."

Quinn begins to giggle against the man's lips when she hears her son's voice. "You heard the boss." She continues to laugh, accidentally shaking the bed in the process.

"Mommy, 'top it." Finn wraps his arm around his mother, yawning as he snuggles up to her side.

"I'll go get you a pull-up." Tate moves away from them, "Can't have you peeing the bed."

"You get one too." The boy smiles, keeping his eyes closed.

"Me? Me get a pull-up?" The man bounds back onto the bed, tickling the toddler.

"_Well, isn't that something?" Jack gently rested his hand on his daughter's belly, "Future football player in the making."_

"_There's a boy in there too, you know." Quinn grinned, teasing him mostly, "One of each. Most men get only one or the other to fawn over when they're first made into a grandfather and you get one of each."_

"_I know it." He gently kissed the young woman's temple, "You know, I only remember bits and pieces about when your mother was pregnant, but...there was never a time when I didn't want to be your father. Never a single time."_

_The young woman glanced over to him, watching him a little before speaking, "What makes you bring that up?"_

"_Their father...the guy who..." Jack cleared his throat, "He doesn't seem like he wants it. Not in the least bit."_

_Quinn's chin wrinkled, lip began to tremble. "I know."_

"_Oh, God. Don't...please don't cry, baby." He shook his head, "I didn't mean anything by it, I just don't want you spending your time worrying about him is all."_

"_I know...I know, Daddy." She nodded, a tear falling from her eye and trickling down her cheek._

"_I'm never going to give them the chance to miss him. Got it?" Jack gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding the young woman closely, "I will always be here for you and those kids of yours."_

Andy groans unexpectedly as he attempts to adjust his posture in bed. "Fuck." He hisses to himself.

"If you stopped moving so much, it wouldn't hurt." Sharon mumbles, opening an eye.

"Just go on to sleep, Sharon. You got work in the morning."

"I can't do much of anything with you moving as much as you are." She sighs, rolling onto her back to look at him, "There's more on your mind than this arm. Talk."

"I don't want it to..." Andy shakes his head, looking to nothing out in front of him as he talks, "Nah, nothing. It's fine. Want me to rub your back with the arm that isn't keeping me awake?"

"You're changing the subject." Sharon raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but..." He sighs softly, "Harper said something to me while she was painting my face up earlier. Well, asked me something, is more like it. She asked why I loved her more than her grandfather."

"She what?" Her eyes open more before she slowly sits up in bed.

"Well, she asked why Jackson didn't love her as much as I do. Why doesn't she call him an actual grandfather-like name instead of just Jackson?" Andy shakes his head, "I mean, it's a little weird."

Sharon sighs, rubbing the corners of her eyes then the bridge of her nose, "This is what I was fearing."

"That your grandkids would like me?"

"No, that Jack's absence would make them think they somehow weren't good enough for him."

Andy begins to shake his head, "Sharon, I don't think all-"

"Yes, it is. He was here. He was making an effort again. Then he up and moved back to Las Vegas. Why is that?" Sharon looks into the man's eyes, "He's afraid he's going to miss something."

"Or, maybe he has someone else just like you do."

She looks away slowly, "Oh."

"Look, Sharon, I don't know for sure or anything like that. He never said anything to me...and why would he, ya know?" Andy bites his lip, "I'm..."

"No, no, you're right." Sharon offers him a sad smile, "I always knew there were probably girls on the side when we were married. He was away far too often for there not to be." She clears her throat, shaking her head, "We are divorced. This is all so selfish of me." Sharon absently draws her knees up to her chest.

"No, it isn't." He reaches his hand over to cover her forearm, "It isn't fair. You abided by your vowels for twenty-some odd years and he didn't. He put you through raising children on your own while living it up in Las Vegas. Yeah, he was an addict, but he rarely even tried to better himself. He's comfortable in his addiction."

"I know." She moves toward him more, resting her head on his well shoulder. "Sammy asked me something similar when he was small...just starting school."

Andy strokes her hair gently, "Yeah?"

"Yes...and I didn't know what to say then either."

He smiles to her, "Don't worry about it. I let her put even more makeup on me to take her mind off of it."

"Rusty sent me a picture." Sharon grins, picking her head up to look to him, "Jack talks to Quinn on the video messenger thing, but he thinks that's the same with the grandkids too. They remember time spent with them...not by your face being on a computer monitor. I've tried to tell him so many times, Andy."

"Then don't worry about it." Andy shakes his head, "This is on him. He's the one missing out here."

She leans up, capturing his lips with her own, "You're right."

"Can I get more of that for being right?"

"Gladly," Sharon hums a soft giggle before kissing him deeply once more.

"_Shar, it's just for one night. Come on. Just like old times." Jackson followed her about the condominium, a pleading tone seeping through his voice._

"_You broke Rusty's heart last time you just stayed on the sofa." Sharon shook her head._

_He furrowed his brow, "What? How? That's ridiculous."_

"_For that little amount of time, with the exception of Sam, you were a male figure that he could look up to just a little bit. He's used to men being terrible to him with the exception of the men I work with and you just couldn't be bothered with him. He isn't like Sam or Quinn. You need to give him a heads up."_

"_He's an adult."_

"_He's a teenager who has led a far less than perfect life. This is his safe spot. This is his home. I will not allow you to make it otherwise with him." She tucked her hair behind her ear, "Stay with Quinn."_

"_That shit hole? It's on the other-" Jack furrowed his brow, his voice raised ever so slightly in an attempt to prove a point._

"_Then go back to where you were before." Sharon glared mildly, used to this man and his shenanigans. _

"_Sharon, I thought we were-"_

"_You were fiercely mistaken, Jackson."_

"Quinn, you're supposed to be in bed." Andy grits his teeth as he rises from the sofa. "Just because your mother isn't-"

"Andy, I'm just putting the kettle on for tea. It's water, on a stove. Then, I'm going to put said water into a mug with a teabag." Quinn teases the man, "I mean, you can do it for me, but it never tastes the right way unless I do it."

"I'm the same way with my marinara." He smirks, moving to the kitchen to watch her.

"You like to cook?"

Andy nods, "Yeah, I love it. My mother was Italian. She made cooking an art form." He nods, "My first wife wasn't much of a...much of a cook or anything really. She complained a lot."

"So you did the cooking then?" Quinn raises an eyebrow, "Bet your kids loved that."

"No, I did the drinking." He offers a sad smile, "I wasn't there much when I wasn't at work. We got divorced and that's why my relationship is the way that it is with my kids."

"You've come a long way, Flynn." When she notices the man nod, "There will be plenty of water left over if you want some tea."

"I'm not much of a tea guy."

Quinn shrugs, "Your loss. We don't have any coffee here though. The smell was making me nauseous early on in my pregnancy so Tate rid the apartment of all the bags we had." The corners of her mouth turn up a little, "I didn't ask him to, he just did it."

Andy sighs dramatically, playfully, "Fine, make me tea. Guess I can give it a shot. It's supposed to be better for ya, right?"

"Depends on what type." She reaches over to gently squeeze his forearm, "No worries, I'll take care of it."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Daddy." Quinn watches the screen of her tablet computer, resting against her extended abdomen, "How is the Vegas life?"

"Eh...it goes." Jack smiled into the camera on his laptop monitor, "How about you? Not much more time now, right?"

"Coming up to it." She smiles a little, "Think you'll be able to get in for it? I...We'd love to have you here." The tone of her voice betraying the uninterested look on her face, though she tries to mask it. She does. Having her father home again would be great. She was never a Daddy's girl, even being jealous of the girls who were while she was in school. However, her father was never there for her to do that. "And the kids miss you too. They ask for you every day."

He offers a throaty chuckle. He loves his children, he does, but the closeness to his ex-wife is still difficult for him to bare when he's around them. Even the way they look like her, though the boy not as much as his daughter, makes him want to stay away. These conversations with his daughter since he's moved back to Las Vegas have been the most difficult part of his day. "Hopefully, honey. Vegas is a place for lawyers. More than Los Angeles was."

Quinn nods slowly, "Yeah." Her tone solid, a sense of anger within her, "I've...Mom chaperoned the kids on a field trip and they'll be back soon." They won't, but she needs to get away from this. Away from this call as a whole. At least before she either says something she doesn't mean to or begin crying, "So, I'm going to go decide which take out to have for dinner."

Jack knows he's screwed up. He knows the trust he once held with his daughter not too long ago has now perished, "Love you, baby."

"Yeah...you too." She quickly disconnects the video conference as she feels her eyes begin to sting with tears. She quickly tosses the tablet computer away from her, toward the wall before breaking out into a sob.

Andy furrows his brow, having been sitting on her sofa, watching the baseball game. He had heard a loud thud, he begins to worry. Not that he's able to do much with his injured shoulder, he still stands from his seat and rushes to her room, "Quinn?" He calls out, putting his head near the door. When she doesn't answer and all he can hear is her crying, he opens the door, "Hey...you, uh, broke your thing here." He nudges a piece of the glass with his stocking foot before stepping in more. "Hey."

Quinn knows he's there. She doesn't care. "I just want him to show the slightest interest in the lives of his grandchildren."

"What?" Moving over to the bed, he sits so that he can wrap his better arm around her, "Hey, talk to me."

She quickly shakes her head before tilting it back, trying to calm herself. "I don't want to talk to my father for a while, alright? I don't want to take his calls."

"Don't worry, you don't have to do anything you don't want to." Andy gently rubs her back, "Did he say something?"

"No, but...You've been there more for them than he has and they're..." Quinn stops, shaking her head, "Excuse me." She whispers, slowly standing and cautiously walking to the bathroom. Holding onto the walls and dressers as she passes them.

"_You don't get to make that call." Sharon focused on her laptop._

"_Excuse me?" Jack unfolded his arms, staring at her. "I try to be here, Sharon. I do. I really do. You don't like it."_

"_You're right, I don't."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because it throws off the balance of everything. Two days, Jack. Two days you get to stay here and you aren't allowed to make any calls when it comes to the children." Sharon shook her head slowly, "You don't get to do that."_

"_I am their father!" Jack's voice filled his wife's office, "We're married. Are you even-" He paused before slamming his hand against the desk, "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"_

_Sharon quickly stood, staring at him, "I could revoke those two days, Jack. I could revoke them and you'd have no pull again...I'm tired of pretending." Her voice was quiet, seething with anger. "I certainly won't pretend around them. There's no difference. They ask you for something or to go somewhere, you tell them to ask me. Got it?" When he didn't immediately answer, her hands slid to her hips, "Jackson."_

"_Yeah, yeah, alright." He gave her another look before slowly slinking from the office like a kicked puppy._

"Gigi, do you like the fish?" Harper tilts her head to the side as she stares into the large tank of colorful tropical fish. She sucks her cheeks in, making a fish face to the underwater creatures.

"Of course, sweetheart. Are you having a good time?" Sharon stands behind the girl, peering over her shoulder. This is a different side of the girl she's seeing. Like a relaxed version.

She nods, "They look like they're doing ballet. Mommy talks about when she used to dance, sometimes."

Stroking the girl's hair, Sharon smiles a little, "Does she?"

Harper nods again, "And that she got hurt and couldn't dance anymore, and how you were sad." She leans her head back, against her grandmother.

"I was more sad that she was hurt more than anything." Nuzzling her cheek against the girl's head a little, she continues, "What's bringing this up?"

Placing her hand against the glass of the tropical fish tank, "Can I have a fish?"

"Well, I don't see why you couldn't have a goldfish or a beta or something of the sort." Sharon hums a chuckle, "As long as you behave and stop being so bossy."

"Commer kept hurting me. He would kick me or hit me or pull my hairs, but Miss Ruth didn't know. Then he said his Mommy told him that my Mommy was bad because she was in jail and that we didn't have a Daddy. I told him no, but he kicked me again and more."

"Again and more?" She listens intently, "And you mean Conner, right?"

Harper nods, "Finnie saw him do it."

Sharon tucks a strand of hair behind the girl's ear, "Is Conner the one that Finn-"

"He bited him because he hurt me." The toddler tilts her head to the other side, "Finn doesn't always hurt no body, but he was mad...and maybe sad."

"I bet he was." She kisses her granddaughter's temple gently, "I'm proud of you for telling me the truth."

"Welcome." Harper smiles a little, "Finnie gets a fish too?"

"Of course." Sharon grins, "Should we go look at the manatees?"

"I like these..."

"I know, but there are lots of other fish here who want to meet you. Let's not keep them from doing so." She glances to her grandson, who is holding his teacher's hand and looking at the fish as well. Of course he'd be protecting his sister. It all makes sense now.

"_But why did you hit him?" Quinn pushed the hair from her brother's face, "I won't be surprised if you get suspended or expelled or something."_

"_He called you a whore and a slut, what did you expect me to do?" Sam __shied__ his face away gently when his sister touched his bruised cheekbone and eye._

"_I don't know, not resort to physical violence? I can take care of myself, you know."_

_The teenager nodded, "I know, but I'm your brother and I like to take care of you too." He snorted a laugh, "If you can believe that."_

"_I know...Thank you." Quinn smiled softly to him before kissing his forehead, "Let's get out of here so we can throw a steak on that. Okay?"_

"_What if Mom-" Sam started, his face panicked slightly._

"_She'll get over it. I promise."_

Sam enters his sister's apartment, glancing around at the strange silence of the space. Normally one of chaos and noise, he closes the door behind him before walking about. He carefully moves to the sitting area, picking up the remote to turn off the muted, but still powered-on television. "Something isn't right here." He mumbles to himself. He walks to his bed-ridden sister's room, seeing her empty bed.

Panic rises within him before he checks his niece and nephew's rooms. "Quinn?" He calls out, knowing he won't hear a response.

Finally, he returns to the living area, noticing a neon pink post-it note on the dining room table. Picking it up, he reads, "Andy made me go to the hospital. Your phones would be off during the trip. I think everything is fine, but he wants to be extra careful. Will call later." The young man slams the note onto the table before rushing to exit the apartment once more.


	6. Chapter 6

Andy sits in the high backed hospital room chair, slowly leaning his head back. Hours. They've been there hours and all the young woman has done was sleep. He picks his head up when he hears the frenzied footsteps from outside the room and the barking of a young man demanding to see the woman within. He stands, making his way. He nods to the nurses who are arguing with the young man. "Sam."

Sam turns quickly, clearing his throat, "What happened?"

"She's fine, asleep right now." Andy licks his lips in thought. "Go take a look at her and then come back out here. I don't want her waking up just yet. She needs all the sleep she's going to get."

The younger man swallows, nodding, "Yeah..." His voice trails off as he silently enters the room, smiling a little as he sees his sister resting. He stands there a moment, glancing around her to the monitors and fluid drip going into her arm intravenously. Slowly, he turns returning to the hallway, "You're sure she's okay?"

He nods, motioning to the hall, "Vending machines are down that way."

Sam follows the man, haphazardly. Not wanting to leave his sister, but wanting to find out more. "I don't like hospitals."

"No one likes hospitals except hypochondriacs." Andy smirks.

"Yeah..." He stands there, nodding to Andy when the man pushes a dollar bill into the machine. He pushes the button for the type of soft drink he may drink, he isn't even thirsty to be honest, "So, what happened that-"

"She was really lightheaded, dizzy...she wasn't telling me anything because she's like your mother. Then she finally came clean that there was some other stuff. Me with this hurt arm, I didn't want her going into labor and I wouldn't be much help."

"The baby-"

"Is fine. May come a little earlier than expected." Andy gently adjusts his arm in the sling around his neck with a hiss.

Sam shakes his head slowly, "Why isn't Mom or Tate here? I thought they'd be first on the scene."

"There was a school-wide field trip. Tate went with his homeroom, your mother went with the twins. Rusty is at school. Everyone had-"

"Their phones off. Quinn left a note...which I forgot about until right now." He releases a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding, "You alright?"

"I was too worried about the kid, so I didn't take some of my pills. It's sore, but I'll live." Andy nods, "She know you were coming in?"

"No, I was going to surprise her...Well, now there's a surprise for the both of us." Sam smirks, walking with the man back to his sister's hospital room.

"_You are really fantastic with her." Sharon watched Andy Flynn as he slowly paced with the girl in his arms._

_The man shrugged, "Back in the day, when I'd have a bit of time between work and being at home, I didn't want to risk myself getting bored and going back to the bottle, so I'd go to the hospital nursery and hold the babies. That sounds weird, but it was called some cheesy name and they found that it helped the sick and premature when they had some contact."_

"_That is the sweetest story I've ever heard about you." She smiled softly, leaning forward._

"_A little love goes a long way."_

Sharon walks back to her daughter's boyfriend's classroom. The children having just let out and he was tying up some loose ends. A twin in each hand with her purse strapped across her body, "I've forgotten how much fun field trips could be."

"For you, yes, but I have to put up with idiot kids trying to sneak off to make out." Tate nods, then turns his attention to the younger two, "And how did you guys like your first field trip?"

"I like fish." Harper nods, "Can I be a fish when I get older?"

"Well, you can be anything you want except for a different species." The young man shrugs, picking up the boy, "How about you?"

"My jus' want Mommy." Finn answers quietly, leaning his head on the man.

"We can do that in a few minutes. I'm sure she is going to want to hear about your day." Tate smiles to them both.

"It was rather interesting, we uncovered some secrets." Sharon nods, glancing down to Harper, then back to her daughter's boyfriend.

"Oh really? Well, I'd love to hear about them too." He glances over when one of the secretaries from the main office runs into his classroom. "Mildred, you alright?" The young man raises an eyebrow, smirking.

"A mess-" The older woman attempts to catch her breath, leaning a hand against the wall, stabilizing herself before standing upright and looking to them, "Sorry, a message from a Samuel Raydor came in for you while you were out."

Sharon furrows her brow at the sound of her son's name, looking to Tate, "Sam called you?"

"What was the message, Millie?"

The woman slips her glasses on, which were hanging from a chain around her neck, lifting up a piece of pink paper, "Andy made Quinn go to the hospital. No worries." She nods, "I know you're expecting with her, so I thought any trip to the hospital may be a little important, and the young man on the phone sounded worried, despite his reassurance."

Tate nods slowly, "Thanks, Millie...also, take your time getting back to the office, yeah?"

Millie grins to the much younger man than herself, "Always the charmer, aren't you, Mr. O..." She turns, slowly leaving.

Sharon glances to the ceiling a moment, attempting to maintain her calm composure. "Okay, let me try calling Andy first." She takes her cell phone from her cross body purse, taking a moment to turn it on before touching his photograph in her call log.

"Hey, babe." Andy answers the phone walking away for a moment when the nurses attempt to put another line in the young woman's arm and she doesn't particularly want them to touch her. "Back from the trip?"

She can't help but smile slightly, amused with his candor, "Yes, and I was just informed that Quinn is currently-"

"Sam called you?" He watches the young woman before him more, "Quinn, you can't put your own needle into your arm."

Sharon listens to the man, closing her eyes for a moment, "What have they told you about her condition?"

"Dehydrated along with a few other things. We've been here most of the day. They have all sorts of monitors on her."

"Does she need me, Andy?"

"Considering she's trying to talk the nurse into allowing her to give herself a new port into her arm for medication and you're the only one that makes her not...you know, act out of hand, I'd say yeah. It's nice in here. Room to herself. They said something about starting the induction process or something. Doctor would probably tell the two of you more than he'd tell me and I know she doesn't exactly want to listen to anyone."

She smiles ever so softly, amused, "Tate should be there. We have the twins."

"What about Rusty?"

Quinn hears the line of conversation between Andy and who she knows is her mother over the phone, "Call Louie."

Andy furrows his brow slightly, "Who?"

"Lieutenant Provenza. He'll watch the twins for me."

Sharon hears her daughter in the background, "Did she say Provenza?"

Tate lifts his head, hearing mention of the man's name, "She talks on the computer with him from time to time."

"You're kidding."

He shakes his head slowly, "About all kinds of things. Nice guy."

Sharon begins to hum a laugh, "I'll give him a call."

Andy hears the exchange through the phone, humming a laugh to himself, "Provenza with two little kids?"

"Well, Rusty will be there before you know it as well."

"So, come to the hospital with them. Provenza can get them here."

"That isn't going to work." Quinn calls out, "You know how Finn is."

"You worry about yourself. We can handle this." Andy nods to the young woman in front of him before adjusting the phone to talk into the speaker area better, "Sharon, you go ahead and call him. I think they'll be happier if they see their mother first, but you make the choices here...like you always do."

"Yes, I do." Sharon grins more, "We'll be by shortly."


	7. Chapter 7

Sharon holds her grandson's hand as they stride down the hospital corridor to the room that Andy had text messaged her, she smiles down to the boy, "Do you understand what I said about going with Lieutenant Provenza?"

Finn nods, "My can't stay with Mommy 'stead?"

"No, sweetheart. Mommy has to stay here. The doctors and nurses and watching the baby and your mother's vitals."

"Vital?"

"Oh," Sharon tilts her head to the side, "Their heartbeats making sure they're okay."

The boy nods again, "My like the man."

"You like Lieutenant Provenza?" When the boy offers her a smile, she hums a chuckle. "He's going to take you back to your apartment where, I'm sure, Uncle Rusty won't be too far behind." She motions to the doorway, "In here." She looks to her daughter's boyfriend, who has her granddaughter in his arms, "Everything okay? You're quiet."

Tate looks to her, "Yeah, it's fine. Just nervous, I guess." He shifts the girl in his arms.

"It's your first child. You're going to be fine." Sharon places a hand on the younger man's shoulder, "Well, first that you've seen born and not just inherited, right?"

He offers her a small smile, "Yeah."

"So don't-" She pauses when she sees her son pacing back and forth in the hall and Andy leaning against the wall, "Boys?"

"They just took her back." Sam offers his arms to his niece, "You should be back there with her."

"The...the baby is coming right now?" Tate shakes his head, slowly handing the girl to him, "She isn't ready. It's too soon."

"Something moved when it shouldn't have...they had to. She just went back not long ago." Andy stands up more, taking Sharon's other hand with the arm he doesn't have in the sling, "I don't know much about it, but they were asking when you'd get here. So hurry up and let them know who you are."

"Yeah." The young man runs his hand through his hair, "Yeah, okay." He walks to the nurse's station hurriedly.

"_Well...looks like you're stuck with me, kid." Jack stood over the plexiglass bassinet containing his newborn son. "I've got things going on which...your mother's going to be pretty pissed about, but I'll try, alright? I'll try to be decent to you, and even if I'm shit with that, know that I love the hell outta you."_

_Sharon turned her head slowly, her eyes groggy, "Jack?"_

"_Yeah...yeah, it's me, Shar." Jack slowly unzipped his leather jacket._

"_Did my mother see you?" Her voice was soft, downcast._

_He shook his head, "Didn't see her out there."_

"_She was going home to relieve my father from watching Quinn." Sharon slowly adjusted herself in the bed with a soft moan._

_Jack slowly nodded, gently lifting the boy into his muscular arms. The room completely silent except for the soft hum of the monitoring machines. "Alright, it's alright, fella." He cooed with the baby when the sleeping infant began to whimper, "You alright?" He looked over to his estranged wife, "Was it hard?"_

"_Was it hard?" She did her best not to roll her eyes._

"_I mean, you look like shit, Shar."_

"_I'm not even going to flatter you with a response to that." Sharon pushed her hair back, tucking the long unstructured bob behind her ear._

_Jack sighed, "Look, Shar, I know you're angry."_

"_I'm not angry with you."_

_He paused, running his hand up and down his son's back. "You're not?"_

"_I'm disappointed; I wanted you to surprise me...I wanted you to prove me wrong. Instead, I got 'good ole Jack' and his inability to take some responsibility with his life and give a damn about his children." Sharon folded her arms over her chest, "No, I'm not angry. I'm finished being angry with you about this family."_

Rusty rushes through the waiting room doors, spotting his adoptive mother sitting in a high backed chair with her grandson resting against her; the girl of the same age watching some educational cartoon on the television. The rapture of the door catches the elder woman's attention. "Hey." He rushes to her when he sees her outstretched hand.

Sharon pulls him into a one armed embrace, "Where have you been, sweetheart?" She gently runs her nails over the dirty blonde hair at his temple.

"I didn't know anything. Found a crumpled up post-it on the floor and put two and two together. I've lived with a detective for a long time, I pick things up." The young man offers her a smile as he sinks to the seat next to her, noticing the nervousness behind her eyes, "How is she?"

"In surgery...Tate's with her. Sam has ventured to the cafeteria and Andy has gone to the nurse's station to beg for aspirin, which he won't get. I feel bad for him though. He's missed some doses of his medications since he got here with Quinn."

Rusty nods slowly, "And they left you here alone?"

"I'm an adult, believe it or not." Sharon hums her amusement, still stroking his hair with her nails.

"Why didn't you go back with Quinn too?"

The woman shakes her head, "Not my place, honey. She'll be okay." When she notices his eyes on her, she continues, "Trust me, I wanted to; It isn't always about where you want to be, but where you're needed."

Rusty nods slowly, "And if you're needed in two places at once?"

Sharon shrugs, "That's the way the cookie crumbles." She holds the young man's hand, "So, how were your exams?"

"Fine. I don't know how I did, but I tried." He looks over toward his niece, "That's all that matters, right?"

"Exactly."

After a few moments of silence, the young man continues, "Are you afraid?"

"Of?" Sharon looks to him.

"Just...I mean...I read a lot, believe it or not, and I've read a lot about childbirth." Rusty shakes his head, "Don't ask. I'm just asking because I read that it was painful and there are many possible complications. Do you think about that?"

"Constantly." She nods slowly, "I was with her through the twins birth...and the things that happened when they were small. This is..."

"Yeah." The young man nods, falling silent for a few moments before speaking, "But...I'm here for you now. You like to make everyone believe you're strong and able to hold it together, and you are...for the most part. However, sometimes, it's okay to just...rely on someone else to help take the burden. Know what I mean?"

Sharon hums a soft laugh, "Rusty...Yes, thank you." Her eyes look ever so slightly teary and she begins to will herself not to cry. She knows he can sense it. They've been that way for one another for quite a time. Sharon feels him start to hold her arm more.

"The nurses wouldn't give me any ibuprofen, but they sell it in the damn gift shop. Can you believe that?" Andy returns to them, grinning to the young man next to her, "Rusty, good you're here."

Rusty offers him a smile, "Just ibuprofen?"

"Other things too. Got the kids a coloring book and some crayons. I know the girl likes to color." He tilts his head to the side, looking to the toddler, who is walking to them, "Harp, I got you some colors."

"It's taking a long time for the baby to get here." Harper climbs into her uncle's lap, "And I'm getting really tired of waiting for the baby."

Sharon smiles as the girl settles between them, "Well, when your Uncle Samuel was born, it was only after thirty hours of labor with him...so, it could be quite a bit of time before the baby gets here, sweetheart."

"Thirty hours is a long time?" She sighs heavily when her grandmother nods, "If I take a nap, will it go by quicker?"

"Possibly."

"And you'll wake me up when the baby gets here?"

"Absolutely." Sharon nods slowly, running her fingers through the girl's hair when she settles against her other side, "Surrounded by children." She whispers to herself.

"Raydor." A nurse calls out from the connecting door.


	8. Chapter 8

"Don't touch me!"

Sharon picks her head up, able to hear her daughter's scream from the end of the hall as she follows the young nurse after pulling a gown among other things on. She rolls her eyes, "Is that why you want me back here?"

"Well..." The young nurse pouts slight, raising her eyebrows.

"She can be difficult, but trust me...it isn't anything personal." She sighs softly.

"Also, she asked for you. So, there's also that."

The corner of Sharon's mouth turns up a bit, "Thank you...I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Amanda."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Amanda."

The young woman nods a little, "Likewise."

"_The victim was wearing jogging shorts and a matching sports bra at the time of the attack." A young officer stood at the front of the conference room, showing his fellow officers and superior just what was put together. "She was wearing __ear buds__ that made it so that she couldn't hear the environment around her. The victim took no precautions before leaving the house and-"_

"_Precautions?" Sharon furrowed her brow, raising a lazy hand to show that she was the one speaking._

"_Yes. With the clothes she was wearing and not being aware of the world around her, this attack was, essentially, inevitable."_

"_Burnside, how old are you?"_

_His back straightened a bit; he wasn't expecting that, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, what does-"_

"_Just humor me. How old are you?"_

"_Twenty-two, ma'am."_

_Sharon nodded slowly, "Okay, and how old was our victim?"_

"_Twenty-one, Ma'am."_

"_When you left the house today, did you prepare yourself for the possibility of sexual assault and subsequent death?" _

_Burnside furrowed his brow, "I'm sorry, I'm not-"_

"_This young woman was going for a jog, that's all. She was exercising. Something she did every night. You are insinuating not only to me, but to your fellow officers, that this young woman wanted to be sexually assaulted simply because of what she was wearing, because she was listening to her __Walkman__, and because she didn't arm herself properly. Am I correct in understanding that?" When she is met with silence from the young man, "Burnside, am I correct in understanding that?"_

"_Yes, ma'am."_

"_What was her name?"_

"_Whose name?" He knew he messed up. After a quick glance to his papers, he answered, "Amanda...the Victim's name was Amanda Robins."_

"_Instead of telling your fellow officers, and anyone else that you may have to present with a case, that this was in any way the victim's fault instead of the perpetrator's fault, you should reevaluate your definitions of victim and perpetrator." Sharon glared toward the young man, then swept her glance around the room to the other officers she was guiding, "We live in a society where we are telling young women not to get raped instead of telling young men not to rape, and vice versa. That is a problem. Cases of sexual assault are never, and I mean never, the victim's fault. It doesn't matter what they were wearing, what they were saying, or what they were doing. Is that understood? This woman brutally lost her life...after being horrendously assaulted. Remember Amanda Robins' face when you start to blur the lines between perpetrator and victim."_

Rusty chews his lip absently, sitting next to his friend and mother's boyfriend, "So...did you get anything else from the gift shop?"

Andy chuckles, offering the young man the bag, "Chips...couple other things."

"Bubblegum cigars." He raises an eyebrow.

"I asked the girl, she said I could return the one that we don't need." Flynn smirks, "Don't tell your mother though, alright?"

"I'm pretty sure Sharon would think this is great." Rusty nods, laughing a little. "Jack was like this...when they were born." He motions toward the twins, "Like...all grandfatherly and stuff. He bought all these balloons and a bottle of champagne. Like, real champagne...from France. Cost a fortune. Just went crazy and now...Sharon's having a hard time, I think, with him not being here." He pauses, looking to Flynn, "No offense."

"None taken." He shakes his head, "When my first grandson was born, I was so outrageously happy. Mostly because my daughter told my ex-wife off when she tried to kick me out." Andy chuckles softly, "I love my daughter's kids to the moon and back, even the step-kids, if you can believe that."

"I can, yeah."

"Things happen with people when they realize a chapter has ended. Some don't know how to start the next, some start tearing out pages, and some burn the book." He raises his eyebrows, tilting his head to the side, "I know that Sharon hates that he's missing this. It doesn't hurt me. Every guy should be there when his grandchildren are born. I wish he gave a shit."

Rusty sighs softly, "I thought he was a good guy."

"We all did...Sharon warned us though, so...I feel bad for her most of all. She wanted him to prove her wrong."

"He still has time, you know."

"Yeah, but I hope not. Quinn doesn't want to see him..." Andy pauses, remembering a few hours before when she broke down in his arms, "I think it was him who put her into labor anyway. So...that's something better left alone."

"_I don't want you here." Sharon sat on the floor with her small daughter, watching as the girl fit shapes in their corresponding holes. She feigns excitement when the girl looks to her for approval, "Great job, sweetheart. Again." She emptied the plastic container for the girl to fill again with the blocks of varying shape and size._

"_Shar, this isn't even..." Jack leaned back on the sofa, "I'm Quinn's father. Every girl needs her father."_

"_Every girl needs her father when he shows general interest in her well being."_

"_I do. You know I do. I started a college fund for her. Did well at the tables a few weeks back and started one for her."_

_Sharon sat up, slowly looking to her husband, "That's just money though, Jack. You're never here. She hardly knows who you are."_

"_And I want to change that."_

"_I've given you ample opportunities to, but you insist on declining them. What do you expect me to say?"_

_He shrugged before leaning forward, "You could say 'Jack, you handsome devil, I'd love to be able to give our daughter the opportunity to have time with you and for her to see her parents together more often.' You could say that."_

_Sharon couldn't help but smile softly, amused with the man's charm, "Why would I do a thing like that?"_

"_Because I love you...and you know I love you...and you love me." Jack sighed softly, "And I just...I was an idiot."_

"_Continue."_

"_What?"_

"_You were an idiot, and..." Sharon nods, waving her hand a little for the man to continue._

"_And if I could take it all back, I would. I can't though, so I'd rather learn from those experiences and know that I shouldn't ever do it again." Jack raised his eyebrows, "Better?"_

"_I'm not your mother. Prove me wrong. Prove to me that everything you've shown me in regards to our daughter and this marriage is wrong and that you care."_

_He slowly lowered himself from the sofa, kneeling in front of her, "I love you more than anything. Losing you because of carelessness on my part, would be a fate worse than death." He swallowed before continuing, "Love is a smoke raised from the fume of sights; Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers eyes; Being vexed a sea nourished with lovers tears; What is it else? A madness most discreet, a choking gall, and a preserving sweet."_

"_Shakespeare won't get you out of every situation, you know." Sharon knew she couldn't stay angry with this man for long, regardless of how stupid his actions were._

"_Is it working for this one?" Jack asked, hopeful._

"Mom?" Quinn raises a hand out, able to hear her mother voice, but not yet see her.

"I'm right here, honey." Sharon moves away from speaking with her daughter's partner, taking her hand, "Okay?" She leans her face down, kissing her daughter's sweaty temple.

"Better." She whispers, reminding her mother of when she was small. Still, even though she's currently in labor with her third child, Sharon can't help but see the little girl who scraped her knee and believed a little orange iodine would heal it.

"The nurse wants to put another line into your arm."

"I don't want them to touch me."

"It's only going to be for a moment, I swear." Sharon nods, "I'll tell you what the twins have been doing while she does it." She picks her head up, noticing Tate's blank expression as he watches them. She can't help but be a bit amused.

Quinn nods a little, offering an arm to the young nurse, watching her mother intently, "I wish they could be here."

"I know you do, but you know that wouldn't be a good idea." She smiles softly to her daughter, "Harper made a friend, hasn't been bossy one bit. In fact, she's been rather mellow since we've gotten back from the aquarium. They had such a great time. And I solved the mystery of the biting."

"What was it?" Tate asks, his head perking up a little as he tries to snap himself out of it a little bit.

"The classmate that was bitten had been teasing Harper, so Finn bit him so that he would leave her alone."

"I know you're not supposed to be proud in a situation like that, but...I'm proud of my boy." He chuckles to himself a little.

"That's so sweet." Quinn pouts slightly.

Sharon nods, "You've raised quite a gentleman."

"You helped." The young woman huffs a soft chuckle, then falls silent a moment, "Tate, could you give us just a minute?"

"Yeah, I'll be right outside the door." Tate offers a smile, actually glad he could take a breather from the stressful room.

"Just a few minutes." She watches as he steps out, then looks to her mother, "I'm scared shitless and he's driving me crazy with his pacing and general attentiveness."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Sharon holds her daughter's hand, absently stroking the young woman's knuckles with her thumb, "He's nervous, honey. It's the first time he's had to go through this."

"He's not the one going through it."

Sitting at the edge of the mattress, the woman looks to her daughter intently, "That may be true, but he is the one on the sidelines who loves you, sees you in pain, and knows there isn't anything he could possibly do about it. Not even to mention that you're going through it because of him and for him..."

"Always on his side." Quinn rolls her eyes, playfully, "So, I heard something about a cesarean?"

Sharon nods slowly, "They think the baby may be in some distress and natural labor may only intensify the stress being put on the baby."

She hums her acknowledgment, "You'll stay?"

"If you want me to. I thought you would want that to be something special between you and Tate."

"It will be, but I need you here too." Quinn swallows, "I can't do it without you, Mom."

"Of course you can. You're a strong, independent woman who was able to pull herself up from her bootstraps and make the most out of life for herself and for her children. I admire you greatly for that, Quinnie."

"Bootstraps?" She smiles a little.

"I'll go and let Tate back in." Sharon leans down and kisses the young woman's hairline softly, "I really am proud of you, honey."

Quinn nods, letting the woman know she heard her, but can't bring herself to respond. It isn't that Quinn doesn't believe that of herself, it's that she isn't comfortable with showing great deals of emotion.

_Tate gently placed his jacket over her shoulders as they walked on the cool beach, "I didn't think it would be so cold tonight. Sorry."_

_Quinn shook her head, smiling softly, "You don't control the weather. It's no big deal."_

_He seemed nervous, something about her seemed familiar and he couldn't put a finger on it. However, he was quickly falling for this woman; another thing he couldn't explain. "So, you know pretty much everything about me and I feel like I hardly know anything about you."_

_She knew it was coming. She knew he'd want to know more. How much was she willing to say on a third date? "I don't mean to be secretive. What do you want to know?"_

_Tate shrugged, "What do you do?"_

"_Surely I've told you the career field that I'm in." When Quinn sees him shake his head slowly, "Well, I work from home...doing PR work. It's...a bit hectic, but it works for me. I also have gotten back into art...but that's only very recent and I've only had a few showings."_

"_You've had showings? I'm impressed."_

"_Don't be. They're only charcoals of people I...people I met."_

_He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, "You're holding back on me."_

_Quinn threaded her hand through her thick auburn hair, "Because I like you...and I don't want to scare you off just yet."_

"_I don't scare easily." Tate folded his arms, a playful smile at his lips and he began to chuckle when he saw her apprehension, "Oh, come on. It can't be that bad. You aren't going to tell me that you murdered someone or something like that."_

"_Second degree manslaughter, self defense, justifiable homicide." She swallowed, trying to keep the tears from her eyes, stopping in place, "I'm sorry, could you just...could you just take me home?"_

"_Wait, are you...you're serious, aren't you..." It wasn't a question because he could tell by the look on her face that there wasn't a dishonest or sarcastic bone in her body. "If you want me to, but Quinn...you still haven't scared me off."_

_Quinn couldn't bring herself to look at him. Nearly frozen._

"_You can tell me whenever you're ready because I'm always prepared to listen."_

"_I also have two children."_

_Tate watches her, "Now you're just messing with me."_

_Quinn slid her arms into the sleeves of his jacket that was still around her shoulders, "Twins...a boy and uh...a girl."_


	9. Chapter 9

Tate holds his son proudly in his muscular arms. His unusual shade of blue eyes slowly drift to that of his recovering girlfriend, "He's perfect, babe."

"He is." Quinn's head lazily drifts back, "All of them are."

"They are. They really are. You're the common factor in that, so it must be all you." He rounds the bed, gently leaning over and placing a soft kiss on her lips, "Thanks."

"My pleasure." She blinks slowly.

"How about you take a nap? We'll show him to the other kids in a little while. Alright?" Tate looks back to his son, running a hand over the newborn's light brunette hair. When he doesn't receive a response, he smirks, seeing she's already asleep.

A light rapt is heard against the hospital door before quietly opening, "I'm not disturbing you, am I?" Sharon Raydor peeks her head in, "I can come back."

"No, come in." The man beams toward her, nodding when the woman's boyfriend steps through the door behind her. Their fingers lazily laced together as she steps closer, "Andy, meet my son."

The silver haired man smirks, lifting his well arm to stroke the baby's hand with his fingertips, "He have a name?"

"Rhys...Rhys Andrew Olejnik." Tate nods to him, "She was touched by how much you've done for her over these past few years...and she wanted to thank you...and we didn't exactly have a middle name picked out."

Andy picks his head up to look over to the sleeping young woman, "Seriously?" His eyes begin to water ever so slightly, "She thinks I...but I'm not even..."

"Doesn't matter to her. Never has. You're family no matter what."

Sharon leans her head against the elder man's arm when he falls silent, "We were about to head out with the kids. Rusty and Samuel are going to stop back. I asked the nurse if they could even though visiting hours are over." She shrugs, "They, apparently, don't care very much."

"Yeah, no problem." Tate nods, "Would you mind keeping them with you overnight? I kind of want to stay with her."

"Oh, absolutely. I was going to suggest that anyway." She nods, offering a grin. Sharon gently reaches out, touching the young man's arm, "You're officially a father...not to mention, stuck with this family for the rest of your days." She leans in, gently kissing his cheek, "Welcome."

"I think...in some strange way...I was always meant to be."

"_Would you like to come up for some tea?" Quinn looked to the man in the driver's seat._

_Tate furrowed his brow, "You live here?"_

_She hummed her approval, "Safety precautions...that's why I always have you pick me up at Starbucks." She bit her lip in a smile, "That makes me sound like a bit of a-"_

"_No, I understand. Can never be too cautious these days." He smiled softly, "You...You asked me to tea?"_

"_Yes...I prefer it to coffee." Quinn glanced back to the apartment building, "Only if you want to, of course. My mother is watching the twins."_

"_...Are you sure?"_

"_If you don't want to, you aren't going to hurt my feelings by declining."_

_Tate glanced up to the apartment building, then back to her, "I'd love some tea."_

Sharon gingerly walks back into the bedroom she's been sharing with Andy, "Did you need me to change your dressings?"

"Shit, I forgot about that." Andy grumbles, slowly sitting up, "Fucker hurts."

She hums, walking around and helping the man remove his t-shirt slowly. "I'm so proud of you for today."

"Oh? How so?" He hisses as she gently touches him.

"Sorry." Sharon replies softly, knowing she had touched a sore area, "For all the help you offered Quinn...both emotionally and physically."

"Baby, I just took her to the hospital. I don't know why she gave the kid my name as a middle name." Andy closes his eyes, absently taking in his girlfriend's smell, "Just helped her to the car, timed her contractions, and held her hand. That's all."

"That's a lot when one is in a great deal of pain themselves."

"I guess."

"It is." She softly kisses the area near his neck, "And I love it when my children are happy."

Andy smirks softly, "She looks so much like you, how could I not?"

"Harper tried to talk me into letting her sleep between us, but I told her your shoulder would prevent that." Sharon nods, "My grandchildren are crazy about you, Andy."

"The feeling is mutual." He nods, "Where are they?"

"In Rusty's room. He's staying over Quinn's tonight. He told me they could have stayed there as well, but I need them close."

"I understand." Andy moans softly again before looking down to see Sharon's hand with a pill in it. "Thanks."

"You earned it today." Sharon gently runs her nails through the man's hair, "Andy, I..."

He lies back, looking to her. He can see what she wants to say in her eyes. He can just see it, but he knows she's afraid to say it. "I love you too."

She leans forward slowly, carefully avoiding his hurt shoulder. Her lips capture his as she kisses him deeply.

"_Well, Rhys. While I think your name isn't the best, it's what you're stuck with. Just like I was stuck with Rusty...though, not really. That's just a nickname." The young man peered down to the infant in his arms, "Welcome to the family."_

"_He's a cute kid, isn't he?" Sam smirked, reaching out to stroke the baby's soft light auburn hair._

"_Yeah." Rusty nodded, "Did you want to-"_

"_No, you go ahead. I'm not one for tiny babies."_

"_Have you ever tried? There's not a special trick or anything."_

"_It's alright." Sam shook his head, "He's all yours."_

_Rusty smiled a little, "Thanks."_

Quinn strokes the baby's nearly nonexistent hair as he suckles the milk from her breast. She smiles a bit, "Your siblings are going to love the hell out of you."

"How could they not?"

She knows that voice. Her head lifts as she takes notice of the man who had just entered, "Jackson."

Jack knew his motions toward his daughter weren't the best. Toward neither of his children, actually. "So...you had the baby."

"I did." Her tone frosty as it spills from her lips, "He was early."

"I thought something may have happened by the way our last conversation went."

"Yes, you made me so angry that I went into labor." Quinn doesn't scowl, her gaze emotionless, "What do you want?"

"I came to see the newest member of the family." Jack nods, his voice at it's usual booming quality as he gives a wave of his hand, attempting to keep his eyes from her chest.

"Of my family. You aren't included in that anymore."

"I deserve that."

"Yes, you son of a bitch. Yes, you do deserve that." Her voice quick, seething.

Silence befalls the room. Jack just not knowing how to respond, or what with. Does he apologize again? Does he beg forgiveness? What does one do in a situation one has caused time and time again? "You look like your mother in this light." When she doesn't interrupt or stop him, he continues, "I couldn't take the blood. Still can't. I met up with her after you were born...and she looked just like you do right now." He offers a soft smile to her.

"Make this quick. Sam will be angry if he finds out you decided to show your face here." Quinn looks him in the eye, covering her chest once the infant finishes his feed.

He swallows, "I'm not going to try to make excuses."

"Then why are you here?"

"To see you...to see my new grandson. It is a grandson right?" Jack tilts his head to the side, seeing her nod, "What's his name?"

"Rhys...Rhys Andrew Olejnik." She answers quietly.

"Andrew?" He furrows his brow slightly.

"After a man who has proven himself an asset to my family time and time again." Quinn knows it stings her father, "Someone who stayed with me even though he was in excruciating pain all day just so I wouldn't be alone. He never once left my side unless Sam was here. Even when the pain became too much for him, he was here."

"Where was your mo-"

"She was with my children on their very first field trip. I didn't want to disrupt that for them...or Tate, who was with his own class. They made it here just in time." She attempts to change her position slightly, the newborn now resting against her chest, "How did you find out that I was here?"

"The doorman told me." Jack clears his throat, "I told him I was going up to see you and he stopped me."

"You came all the way to-"

"I realized what I told you...probably hurt you. I wanted to apologize and explain what I meant." He folds his arms, motioning to the chair, "Would you mind?"

"Keep standing...explain away." Quinn watches him.

Jack sighs softly, nodding, "Alright, well..." He shakes his head, "Quinn-"

"Explain." She says again.

"I still love your mother." He finally says, "I do...I've never stopped loving her, irregardless of what has happened over the years...she's beautiful and smart, smarter than me, that's for sure. She should have been the lawyer. She would have been great at it."

"Irregardless isn't a real word." Quinn absently keeps her hand on the baby's diaper as he rests against her, "It's a word with a double negative, which cancel each other out and give a positive. So, you hold the issue with regard." She slowly releases her breath, "What does your love of Mom have anything to do with my children, Sam, or myself?"

"You look so much like your mother. Do you know that? So much, Quinn." Jack's voice cracks a little, "Do you have any idea what it's like seeing a person constantly, knowing you lost them by your own fault?"

"I do, but probably not in the same way you're referring."

He knows what she means, though different from his own explanation, "That's why. I lost her and it's because I'm afraid of being depended on. Understand?"

"I don't understand why you didn't tell us this before...or what it has to do with my kids." Quinn shakes her head before motioning to the chair in the room with a lazy sweep of her hand, allowing him to sit.

Jack nods, slowly sinking into the high backed hospital chair, "That's my fault. I'm...I'm trying to be better at it."

"Try harder." She swallows as a smirk slowly appears across her face, watching him still. "Why do I always feel sorry for you?"

"I hear your mother has the same problem." He chuckles to himself.

"I haven't forgiven you, you know. So, don't get too comfortable." Quinn shakes her head, gently gathering the infant into her hands, "Hold your grandson, Jack."

"Andrew?" Jack carefully takes the infant from her hands, letting him rest against his own chest.

"Don't push it."

He gently sways with the infant, "Damn, he's cute."

"I'm aware." She hums her amusement, tilting her head when she hears the door open.

"I called out of work. Tate is at home with the kids. He's bringing them up later." Sharon sweeps into the room, hearing from the nurses that the baby was feeding. She pulls back the curtain, taking note of her oftentimes absent ex-husband, "Jackson."

Jack picks his head up, looking the woman over, "Hello, Sharon."

The older woman slowly folds her arms, "You have some nerve showing your face here." Her gaze steely, beyond angry with a hinge of disappointment. "And don't you dare tell me that you came to see your grandson."

"Then I guess I won't tell you anything." He shakes his head, the baby finding a comfortable position in his arm, "Besides, I'm not here to see you."

"Mom." Quinn reaches a hand toward the woman.

Sharon can't deny that tone from the young woman. It was a tone that matched her own most times. A tone that signaled that things would be okay. A tone that meant to relax and let the issue go. She offers her daughter a slight nod, taking a seat on the bed next to her. "Were you able to sleep well, honey?"

The young woman hums her amusement, "Between Tate's snoring and the baby whimpering any time they tried to remove his bassinet...it was okay."

She leans in, softly kissing her daughter at her hairline, "You were amazing yesterday. I don't think I told you."

Quinn blushes, "Thanks, you were too." She slowly glances back toward her father, knowing he isn't paying any attention to her, "Has he always been like that with babies?"

"As long as I can remember." Sharon follows her daughter's gaze, "Finn was the only one who never took to him...and, believe me, it bothered him like crazy."

Jack continues to move from foot to foot with the infant, singing Sinatra softly to him.

"Fatherhood has never been his strong suit, but babies...that, he's good with."

The younger woman grins, "How is Andy?"

"I gave him a pain pill before I left. Poor thing...still so worried about you." Sharon nods, taking hold of her daughter's hand.

Quinn watches her mother, "You seem afraid of something."

"Such as?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but I'll figure it out." She shakes her head, noticing the man looking to them again, "Yes?"

"You said Rhys, right? Like...shrimp fried rice?" Jack glances to the baby again, the infant completely passed out.

Quinn nods, "Yes."

"I think it's a beautiful name." Sharon grins broadly, "Welsh origin, meaning enthusiasm. There's also various ways to pronounce it."

"Well, I'll tell ya, Rhys, your Grandpa is enthusiastic about your arrival. That's for damn sure." Jack coos to the infant.

"_I know you're busy. I do, but...you're here right now. Can't you just..." Sharon shook her head as she wrung her hands together, "Just watch the kids for ten minutes so I can have a shower. My father is sick and my mother is caring for him or else she'd be here."_

"_Come on, Shar-" Jack nearly whined._

"_These are your children, Jackson!" The woman yelled toward him, "Your children and you can't even bother to spend ten minutes?"_

_He fell silent for a few moments, "That's not what I-"_

"_I feel filthy. Sam has terrible colic and I'm pretty certain Quinn is teething again." Sharon pushed a hand through her hair, obviously at her wits end. "I shouldn't have to plead this much to get you to spend some time with your own children."_

"_Go ahead." Jack nodded, waving his hand as he lifted his newborn son to his chest._

"_Go ahead, what?"_

"_Go take your shower." He offered her an amused expression, "I'll still be here when you get out."_

_Sharon watched as he got comfortable on the sofa before nervously turning from the three.._

"_How about some Little Mermaid, princess?" Jack grinned to his small daughter._


	10. Chapter 10

Sharon gently pushes open the door to the baby's nursery, noticing her grandson standing in front of the crib. She crouches next to him, gently placing a hand on his back, "How is he?"

Finn bites his lip, not knowing anyone knew where he was. "Baby is sleeping." He answers softly, "His belly goes up and down and he 'nores too."

"Does he really?" She smiles softly, kissing the toddler's soft hair, "How about you tell me all about it in the living room and we let Rhys sleep?"

He reaches his small arm through a slot in the crib, gently touching his brother's hand. "I'll be back, baby." He nods to his grandmother, holding her hand as they retire to the living room. "We have to be quiet. Mom is 'leeping too."

Sharon nods, "And Tate is using my place to catch up on some things for school, so I offered to watch you and your siblings."

"What that?"

"What's what?" She pauses, looking to the boy, "Siblings?" She offers, smiling softly when he nods, "That means you have a brother and a sister. Siblings are the people in your family."

"Like you?" Finn raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, but...no. I means brothers and sisters mostly." Sharon wraps an arm around him when he crawls onto her lap. "I thought you were asleep a good hour ago."

"I pretended." He answers sheepishly, leaning his head against the woman, "Had to check on baby."

"Yes, and you're an amazing big brother for doing so. However, that's why I'm here. I am here to protect baby Rhys, just like I do with you and your sister. It's my job."

"No, Gigi, you're the police. That your job." Finn nods.

Sharon smiles softly, "Yes, I am that too. I like to protect people."

"Me too."

"I know you do, like how you protected your sister at school."

The toddler quickly turns his head to look at her, "Who tolded?"

She shakes her head, "Doesn't matter."

"Mad at me?" When Finn sees her shaking her head negatively, he bites his lip, "Why?"

"Because that was very brave of you to stand up for your sister to a bully." Sharon runs her nails through his hair, "However, if it ever happens again, I want you to take a different approach. After you tell the teacher and tell the bully to stop-"

"Did that."

"I want you to tell them that your Gigi is a police officer and she wouldn't be very happy to know they're being mean. Okay?"

Finn nods, "I can do 'dat."

"Good...because I don't like it when you get in trouble for doing good things." Sharon hugs him closely.

"_Mom, you should have seen it. It was incredible." Sam ran through the house, __book bag__ draped over his shoulder as he speaks with his hands._

"_What happened?" Sharon leaned against the kitchen counter, coffee mug between her hands._

"_There were these guys who were picking on this kid with Down Syndrome in the lunch room, couple of Sophomores trying to make a name for themselves, know what I mean? Anyway, Quinn walks up to them and tells them to stop. They try to tell her to shut up and whatever and then she hit them."_

"_What do you mean 'hit them'?" She slowly placed her mug down._

_Sam laughed a little, "Just...punched them both in the face. Knocked one of them out cold."_

"_Where is she now?" Sharon folded her arms, slowly drumming her fingers against her arm, "Did either of the boys fight back?"_

"_They tried to, but they got too afraid after the one hit the floor and they realized she wasn't just going to run and cry or whatever." He turned, looking toward the door when she slowly walked through, pink slip in hand, "There's my sister. Defender of slow kids."_

"_Samuel." His mother scowled toward him, walking past to meet her daughter, "I wish you wouldn't resort to physical violence." She gently opened her arms as to hug the young woman, but was stopped._

_Quinn quickly held her hand up, "Don't touch me. I don't want to talk about it." She mumbled, jogging up the stairs to her room._

_Sharon stood still a moment before pushing a hand through her hair, sighing heavily._

"So, you're not with that dude anymore?" Rusty looks up at the stars from his mother's balcony.

"No...it was fun while it lasted, but no." Sam swallows, smiling sadly, "I'm with a girl named Amanda now."

"Amanda?"

He hums approvingly, "I can't see myself marrying her or anything like that, but...we're happy. She's fun."

Rusty raises an eyebrow, "How long you been together?"

"Few months." Sam snorts before taking another toke of his rolled joint, "She's smart and stuff. Works in a library."

"That's a hell of a thing. A kid with reading disabilities and a girl who pushes reading for a living. Like Romeo and Juliet except not as dramatic."

He chuckles, shaking his head, "Nah."

"Do you just...do you ever envision yourself getting married?" Rusty blinks slowly, knowing he's inhaling some second hand smoke from the breeze blowing in his direction.

Sam pauses, thinking a moment before answering, "No, actually. I don't."

"Why?"

"Because the marriage between my parents was nothing more than a fallacy...I don't even know if they ever really loved one another."

Rusty nods, "I think they did...I even think some parts of them still does."

"What?" Sam looks over to the younger man, "What do you mean?"

"I think some part of him will always love Mom. I can...I can see it in his eyes...or something."

He shakes his head, "I think you're starting to lose it, brother."

"No, listen." Rusty sits up more, turning to face him, "I think it may be why he isn't coming around. He knows that Mom is happy with Andy and he doesn't want to mess that up for her." He straightens his back a bit, "He loves her so much that he'd rather she be happy and with someone else than be miserable and be with him. I've been thinking about it."

Sam takes another hit before looking to him once more, "So..."

"Just saying. Maybe try not to be so pissed with Jack...maybe he'll open up or something."

"I'd rather not talk to him instead of listening to him peddle his bullshit." He shakes his head, "I mean...my entire life, my father would come and go. I'd see Mom be so upset. Like...crying for hours and stuff. Really depressed. She still sees a shrink on and off to this day."

"Because of her shooting a-"

"That too, but also because of Jack." Sam finishes the herbal cigarette, "I think she wanted their marriage to work when she was younger, but...the older she got, the quicker she understood that it would never happen. The quicker she got that Jack was afraid of commitment...even to his children. It was Mom who put us through school, even college. He never helped. Not even once."

Rusty nods, "Me too." He licks his lips, "So...think her and Andy-"

"I try not to think about them much at all." The older of the two laughs to himself.

"_Jackson...it's been..." Sharon looked around the house, "It's been several years since we've seen you."_

"_I know."_

_She didn't know what to do. Does she let him in? Could she risk the children seeing him and getting excited? "What do you want?"_

"_Sharon, can't I come in? Have a nightcap or something to eat?" Jack leaned an arm up against the __door frame._

"_You obviously have your own house for that since you're never at this one." Sharon swallowed, he was still so attractive._

"_Come on, Shar-"_

"_You're answering some questions from me and your answers will base my assessment of you."_

_Jack chuckled to himself, "You're a lawyer, Sharon, not a criminal profiler-"_

"_No, I'm not, Jack. You made damn sure that I wasn't able to pursue that line of work with the two children that you have neglected since seeing them in the hospital." Sharon folded her arms, watching to man, "So, Jackson, where have you been?"_

"_Here and there."_

"_Wrong answer." She turns to slam the door only to be stopped by a yelp from the man, "Move your foot."_

"_Sharon, I need you." Jack moans, slowly moving his foot away, "I'm in it bad and...I need your help."_

"_Like what?" Sharon swallowed, stepping aside. Something in her will always feel sorry for the man and she never knew why or even understood it, "Why do you need me?"_

"_I always need you." He offered her a loving smirk._

"_Get out."_

"_Wait." Jack lifted a hand, "I owe this guy-"_

_Sharon folded her arms, "What's the man's name?"_

"_Johnny No Thumbs." When he received a look from her, indicating that she didn't believe him, he continued, "I'm fucking serious, Shar."_

"_Why do you owe this man money? You're a lawyer who doesn't take any care of his children. You should have plenty of cash lying around. At least, more than enough so that you don't need to borrow the money in the first place." She answered cynically, "No, I know what this is. This is a gambling debt, isn't it?"_

"_Sharon." Jack nearly warned._

"_No, you've done this before. I seem to remember being eight months pregnant with our son and discovering that you effectively cleaned out our entire joint bank account when you were finished with your own. All the while I was depending on that money for rent and groceries. However, I should have known you would disappoint me."_

"_And I brought home double, didn't I?"_

"_No, you spent what you made and I didn't see a dime." Sharon shook her head, "I was thankful for my own account and the help of my parents." When she noticed the man sigh heavily, "I'll make a deal with you."_

"_Alright." Jack picked his head up slowly._

"_I will allow you to stay here for two nights, on the sofa. Not any longer."_

"_That's...Shar, that's hardly-"_

"_Then don't stay here at all. Entirely your decision, Jackson." She folded her arms, "And don't think for a single moment that I'm helping you out in any way financiall__y. I made that mistake once and I'll never make it again."_


	11. Chapter 11

"_Do we have to keep him? Can't he go somewhere else?" A small Quinn Raydor leaned her head against her mother as the woman breastfed her son, "He's so loud."_

_Sharon stroked her son's soft hair, "He's your brother, of course we're keeping him."_

_The toddler pouted as she made puppy-dog eyes up at her mother, "I'm a baby."_

"_You will always be my baby, you both will. However, you're a big sister now and big sisters have a very important job to do in regards to their baby brothers."_

"_Like?"_

"_You must teach him how to be a good little brother." Sharon nodded slowly._

_Quinn perked her head up after a few moments, just watching the infant, "What's he doing now?"_

"_He's eating."_

"_Gross."_

"_You ate the same way when you were this small. Babies like their mother's milk in order to help them get big and strong." The woman looked to her daughter, "It keeps him from getting sick as well."_

_The girl looked somewhat confused, "Why I don't drink it no more?"_

"_Because you're already big and strong, not to mention that you can eat other things too now. Samuel can only drink milk."_

_Quinn scrunched her face in thought, "He can have bottles. Babies drink bottles."_

"_That's true. However, it's what's in the bottle that counts." Sharon hummed her amusement as her son finished feeding, gently removing him from his suckle, and covering her exposed breast, "Now, what would you like for supper, sweetheart?"_

Rusty walks alongside his niece as she rides her tricycle next to him, "You're doing a great job, Harp."

"Thanks, Uncle Rusty." Harper grins, her purple helmet causing her head to look as if it's three times the size it actually is, "It's not fast enough."

"That's my girl."

She grunts as she pedals, "Can I have a new bike?"

He shrugs, "I can't see why not. Besides, you're a big sister now. That's something to celebrate, right?"

Harper nods, "I wanted a sister though." She continues to pedal as quickly as she can, which wasn't entirely easy as they were going on a slightly uphill slope.

"Brothers aren't bad. It's like us. Your mom and your Uncle Sam, then there's me. I'm the little brother." Rusty folds his arms as he walks, "Would you like it if one of them were mean to me?"

She shakes her head, "I'm not mean to him. I just wanted a sister. I love my baby brothers."

He chuckles, "I forgot you were older than Finn."

"Four minutes." Harper giggles, holding up four fingers. She stops attempting to pedal. "I'm tired now."

Rusty nods, "I can tell. How about I ride us home?"

"How?"

Rusty places his foot on the back step of the tricycle, holding onto the handlebars and positioning her hands to do the same, "All passengers, please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times." He fixes her feet so they won't be hurt by the spinning pedals, "And away, we go." He uses the tricycle as a scooter, pushing his way toward the apartment, squeals of delight coming from the girl below him.

"_Quinn, come here a moment." Sharon folded her arms, looking to the baby in front of her. When she saw her four-year-old daughter appear in the doorway, she continued, "Is there something you want to tell me about?"_

_Quinn shook her head, "No, why?"_

"_Well, I came in here to get your brother because he had awoken from his nap and I find that someone, or something, has used marker on his face." She motions to the baby, "Do you know who could have done that?"_

"_A ghost."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yep. I saw him. He was a tall ghost with a hat. He was nice though." Quinn nodded, "He waved to me and said he wanted Sam to be a clown when he grew up. So I waved back and said okay."_

"_And did he tell you what he wanted you to be?" Sharon was amused with her daughter's story, hearing the girl out before reprimanding her._

"_A princess...and they don't paint their faces."_

"_An answer for everything." She rolled her eyes, "Okay, Quinn, I know it wasn't a ghost."_

"_Then maybe it was Daddy." The girl moved closer to the woman, "Maybe he wanted to see the baby."_

_It shouldn't have, but it struck something in Sharon at the time, "Go sit in time out so that you can give yourself some time to get your story straight, please." She answered softly, when the girl is ready to protest, she points to the hall, "Go, Quinn."_

Finn slowly assembles a puzzle, usually a tough one for someone his age, he always loves to do them.

"How many pieces does this one have?" Andy sinks onto the sofa near the boy, knowing his love of a challenge.

"A hundred." He nods, showing the man one of the pieces between his chubby fingers, "See how little?"

"I do. That's great, Finn." The man grins, picking his head up when he hears the bathroom door open and steam seep out, "How'd it go?"

Sharon tilts her head from side to side, "I'm still uncertain how I got so soaked." She makes a face, looking down at her clothing, "Rhys loves the water though. Calmed him right down." She beams to her grandson in her arms, "Rusty and Harper still out?"

Andy nods, "I imagine they'll be home any time now." He clears his throat a little, "How's Quinn?"

The woman's smile falters ever so slightly, "She's...how I was when Samuel was born...not as bad. She does feedings and I couldn't even do that, but..." Sharon sighs, "I just wish Tate was able to..."

"Yeah, it's that whole back to school ramp up, poor guy."

"And I know he hates it, but..." She shakes her head, "I just wish he could have taken the paternal leave that they allow fathers now."

Andy motions to the baby, "Did you want to go change? I can keep an eye on him."

"With one arm? Quinn and I wear the same size, I'll borrow something comfortable of hers."

"Does she have those yoga pants? I...I think you could work with those." He waves his eyebrows.

Sharon rolls her eyes, turning away from him and opening the door to her daughter's room. She sees the young woman's figure lying on the bed, her back to the door. "Quinn, are you awake?" She walks in more, noticing that she is. "Rhys had a bath...did a great job."

"Tate wanted to do it." Quinn mumbles, her voice void of emotion.

"I know, sweetheart, but he was starting to smell like spoiled milk and Tate has been rather busy as of late. I didn't want him to have to worry about it." She pats her daughter's foot through the sheet before gently lying the baby down onto the bed.

She doesn't look to the baby, watching her mother, "Is he hungry?"

Sharon picks her wrist up, looking to her watch, which she removed to bathe the infant. She rubs her wrist, "Not for another couple of hours, I believe."

Quinn licks her lips before speaking again, "Then why are you-"

"Would you mind if I borrowed a shirt and some...comfortable pants from you?"

"You live down the hall."

"Yes, I'm aware, but I didn't want-"

Quinn blinks, "It's fine."

Sharon nods, offering the young woman a simple smile as a sign of gratitude, "Now, do you have something called yoga pants?"

_Tate looked to his girlfriend's father as he passes him in the hall of the hospital, "Mister Raydor, I'm surprised to see you here."_

_Jack shook his head, "Just Jack." He offered the young man his hand, "Congratulations, son. How's it feel to be a father now?"_

"_I was before. This one is just biological." He nodded, folding his arms, "It's the best feeling in the world though."_

_He watched the young man, noticing he didn't accept the handshake, "Great looking kid, anyhow."_

"_I agree, sir."_

"_It is a lot to have on your plate though...so soon after starting the relationship." Jack slid his hands into his pockets, "Don't you think?"_

"_Sometimes, I think, some things are just meant to be. One person is supposed to be with another person, no matter how they meet or the pasts they have. I like to think Quinn and I are two of those people...and I'm supposed to be a father to the twins. I'd give my life for her and for any of my children. There's no question about it. I'd rather die than to be separated from them...or do them wrong." Tate blinked, focusing his eyes on that of the man in front of him._

_He knew that was for him. He knew that's where this young man was going with his statement. Jack chuckled to break the tension, "Well, I better be going then. It was good seeing you, son."_

"_The feeling is mutual."_

"_I'll be by to see you when you get the boy home." He started to walk away from the young man._

_Tate nodded, "We'll all be waiting, sir."_

Harper excitedly walks into the apartment, "Andy, you should have been there. Uncle Rusty and I went so fast. He said he's buying me a big big girl bike. Can you believe it?"

Andy chuckles, wrapping his well arm around the girl when she climbs onto the sofa, "I can't wait to see how fast you can go."

"Oh, I can go fast. I like to go fast." The girl nods, then hops off the sofa, "I'm all sweaty."

"So fast she sounds like she's on speed at the moment." Rusty nods, holding the girl's helmet by the straps

Sharon smiles, hearing the interaction. She loves seeing her grandchildren with Andy Flynn. There is just something about the man that just draws children to him. His best friend no different. She rubs the infant's back as he sleeps in a sling wrapped around her body, "Harper, be excited a little softer, please." She reads through a take-out menu opened on the countertop in the kitchen.

"Sorry, Gigi." Harper whispers loudly toward the woman, then looks to her uncle, "Can I take a bubble bath?"

"Sure." Rusty nods, "Go get your after bath outfit." He watches as the girl runs to her room. Rusty walks to the kitchen, "Thought I saw Lieutenant Provenza parking while we were getting in. Wanted to get up here so I could warn you before he got up here."

"Thank you." Sharon smiles to him, reaching out to ruffle the young man's hair, "Did you want something special for dinner?"

He shakes his head, folding his arms as he leans against the counter, "Are you okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Sam earlier, then Andy, then you."

Rusty shrugs, "You look tired is all."

"I'm not wearing any makeup and...is it that obvious?" She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"It's okay." He shakes his head, "Quinn still isn't-"

"No, and Tate's busy. I know he hates it, but...I can only take so much time, know what I mean? Though, I suppose I have a bit more standing where my job is concerned as opposed to his so it's easier for me to take time without many repercussions." Sharon sighs, "I remember taking care of a newborn was difficult when I was younger, I never thought I'd have to do it again."

Rusty huffed a soft laugh, "I don't have school tomorrow and there's nothing coming up at the moment. How about I take baby duty tonight so you can get some sleep?"

"Honey, I couldn't ask you to-"

"I've done it before when Quinn was banged up...and that was with twins, remember? You were called out to a scene." He grins, "Besides, you've been hogging him...and he's been hogging you."

Sharon nods slowly, wrapping her arm around the young man's shoulders and pulling him in for a careful hug, "Thank you for your honesty."

"It's all I have to give." Rusty nods, then motions to the infant in the sling around her, "Or you can go take a quick nap now. That way you won't have to deal with Lieutenant Provenza."

"Quinn and Lieutenant Provenza have a...relationship of sorts. I can't explain it, but they don't think I know about it. He will probably want to see her...and he may be able to talk to her a bit."

"A relationship?" The young man offers a face of some disgust, teasing mostly.

"No, nothing like that." Sharon sighs, shaking her head, "I can't explain it, honey. It's just a great friendship."

"Well, friendship is a much better word to use instead of relationship." Rusty teases her.

"_You're back." The young woman adjusted her posture in the hospital bed._

"_Well, when you say it like that, I don't feel very welcomed." Louie Provenza approached the bed, hands lazily at his sides. _

_Quinn smiled ever so slightly through her bruised face, "Where's Mom?"_

"_Resting, hopefully. She's spread thin with you and work and the kids. It can get to a person. Luckily, Rusty is there to help as well as Sam when he can." He looks to her face, more yellow than the day before, he believes. "So, how you feeling, kid?"_

"_Have you any idea how many times I'm asked that a day?" She blinks, "I'm so high right now, I'm not even sure my eyes are open. Are my eyes open?"_

"_They are."_

"_Good." Quinn swallows the extra saliva collecting in her mouth, amused, "They tried to give me green jello today."_

"_Oh? How did that go?" Provenza notices that she's taken hold of his hand as he stands there through the slots of the bedrail. He gently rubs the back of her hand with his thumb, resting the other against the railing._

"_I argued with them that I had a feeding tube and wasn't allowed anything by mouth." She takes a moment, "Turns out they had the wrong room...the wrong person. Would have had a lawsuit on our hands, but that's just the lawyer's daughter side coming out of me."_


	12. Chapter 12

Andy nods, letting the young girl paint his fingernails, "You were right. Red is definitely my color."

"See? I told you." Harper nods, "And after this, I'll do your toes too."

"Well, thank God. I don't know what I'd have done if they didn't match." He smirks, teasing the girl. He doesn't care all that much what the girl did to him, he was relaxed that way. Especially with Harper Raydor. Andy thought the world of the Raydor twins, and now even their little brother, but there was something about Harper that he knew she thought the world of him.

"Uncle Rusty is next.

Rusty hears her, raising an eyebrow, "I hope you have another color for me other than red. I don't think it's my color like it is Andy's."

"You get purple." Harper nods, her voice indicating her decision is final, "Finny doesn't like his nails painted."

Finn shakes his head, still working on his puzzle, "It tickles."

Provenza smiles down to the baby in his arms, "You certainly are a handsome fella. That you are...and you know it too." He lets the infant hold his finger during his slumber.

Sharon pushes a hand through her hair, "He's more relaxed than the twins were...and his mother. I don't include Samuel because of the colic."

"You're doing a great job with him, Captain." He nods, "This is always the best time...when they're this small. Can't talk back yet."

She hums a giggle, "Very true, but the young men in my family are all incredibly intelligent. Anything to come from their mouths is rarely ever superfluous."

"I've met Jack on numerous occasions, I can only assume they've acquired that trait from you." Provenza smirks slightly, still peering to the baby.

Sharon feigns shock, "Was that a compliment?"

The man growls playfully, "So, where's the new mother?"

She folds her arms, leaning her back against the counter top, "I'm hoping you could help me with that."

"How the hell am I-"

"You and my daughter have come to a...understanding of one another. She spoke with you more often than she did with her father. She was enigmatic, impulsive, yet secretive about her life. However, when she wouldn't say a single word to me, Samuel, or even Rusty..."

Louie begins to nod slowly, "She would tell me."

"Exactly." Sharon answers quietly, "Now...depression doesn't go away in a day, or a week. It doesn't just vanish, but...I thought maybe if you speak with her, she may feel a little better to know that..." She shrugs a little, a look on her face displaying that of a concerned mother, reaching for the last thread of rope, "Please, Lieutenant...if not for me, do it for these children. They need their mother back in their lives."

_Jack stared at the infant, biting his lip as he does. He isn't supposed to be a father. This wasn't supposed to be the plan. No children this soon. One was great. She was a beautiful little thing. So full of life. This one though. Though this was his son, it terrified him. Would he want the boy to be a man like himself?_

"_Jackson, I didn't hear you come in." Sharon looked him up and down, her tone neutral._

"_The boy...I..." He shrugged, looking to her, "You look like shit."_

_She didn't respond, hardly batting an eye as she slowly turned from him._

_Jack followed her, "Your mother and Quinn weren't downstairs...Are you...Are you sick? Should you be alone with-"_

"_I got up to urinate. Was there something you wanted?"_

_He bit his lip, watching as she carefully laid back on the bed._

Tate stands on the balcony, bringing his cigarette to his lips and inhaling deeply. Los Feliz is beautiful this time of the day. He bites his lip, blinking. His thoughts swim in his head. Quicker and quicker still. So fast that he doesn't hear the balcony door open and close behind him. So fast that he doesn't notice his cigarette burned down to the base before it burns him. He quickly lets it go, hissing, "Shit."

"Didn't hear you come in...or out." Sharon wraps her arms around herself as she moves closer to the railing, chuckling softly when she feels him place his jacket over her shoulders, "You don't have to do that."

"Yes, I do." He nods, leaning his elbows on the railing in front of him, "You should be home...asleep..."

She hums, "I should, but you're out here and the children are still awake...as well as my daughter." The woman looks out in front of her, wrapping her arm around his and leaning her head against his shoulder, "Haven't had the chance to speak with you in a while. How are you holding up?"

Tate huffs a soft laugh, "No, that's a question I ask you. I'm...I'm not here. Not like I should be." He shakes his head, "I'm no better than your ex-husband at this point."

"Don't say that."

"It's true, Sharon." He swallows, "My wife is sick, my son...I've hardly held my son, I've pushed his care onto you. The care of all of my kids. I don't know the first thing about babies."

"Look at me." Sharon turns to face him more, placing her hands on either side of his face, "Tate, look at me." She wipes a tear that's escaped from his eye and is trickling down his cheek as he meets her eyes. "You are an amazing father. Amazing fathers know who to entrust their children to...and who better than the children's grandmother?"

Tate sniffs, shaking his head a little as he listens to her, "But I-"

"But nothing. You're a remarkable young man. I'm here, Andy is here...though he isn't able to do much. Harper gave him a complete manicure and pedicure today. Both were quite happy with the results. Rusty is about to have his before you know it." She offers him a grin, "You could be in line, you know."

"I just...I just want everyone to be happy. I want my partner back."

"She hasn't gone anywhere. She's still here...and she needs you." She clears her throat, "When I had postpartum depression with Samuel, I was alone. My mother tended to the children and Jack...well, Jack was Jack." Sharon shakes her head, "However, you are here to help her through it. Jack wasn't there to do that for me. Do you understand, Tate? You are not Jack. Not in any way, shape, or form." Sharon pulls him close to her, "You will never be Jack."

Tate wraps his arms around her in return, closing his eyes. She's right. Sharon Raydor, in the short amount of time he's known her, is always right.

_Andy gently stroked her arm as it rested draped over his waist, "You think about how different things could have been?"_

"_How do you mean?" Sharon answered quietly, her face comfortably against his bare chest, "Different in regards to what?"_

"_Like...if things had worked out with my ex and the kids...for you, if things had worked out with Jack last time." He shrugged, "This...We wouldn't be a thing, Sharon. What we just did...you wouldn't even imagine."_

_The woman raised an eyebrow, "Just because I was a married woman then, Andy, doesn't mean I didn't have my own fantasies about other men. I just never acted on them...and you, Lieutenant, were at the top of my list."_

Louie Provenza quietly closed the bedroom door behind himself, seeing the young woman lying in the bed. "You see this, Rhys-a-roni, I come to visit and she decides she's going to sleep through it all. Some host she is." He mumbles to the baby in his arms, knowing the young woman could hear him.

"Rhys-a-roni...that's a new one." Quinn blinks slowly, watching him as he takes a seat on her bed. The room falls silent, "You probably think I'm the worst mother ever because of this."

He shakes his head, "Nah, you're just taking the wrong approach."

"I don't want to get out of bed. I haven't the energy...or desire." She licks her lips, "For any of them...not just Rhys."

"Let me tell you a story-"

"How long is this going to take, I have sleep to catch up on."

Provenza scowls playfully before continuing, "When your mother was named the new head of Major Crimes division, I fell into a deep depression. I felt lied to. I felt...betrayed." He nods, keeping his hand on the baby's back when the infant settles against him, "I couldn't find my purpose. I didn't know my worth. Then there was Rusty. He helped me, though he probably doesn't know that and I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to him. The boy, for one reason or another, looked to me for guidance. I gave him all I could."

Quinn watches him, "So...you're saying I need to give someone guidance in order to feel better."

"No, you should do whatever the hell you want to do, but you should know that there's a lot of people here who love you and would do anything for you. They're worried out of their minds about you. Sure, Rhys here is cute as hell, but...they love you too, Quinn. Understand?"

The young woman has tears in her eyes, taking a deep breath, she attempts to wipe them away quickly, "I want to feel normal again too. I've..." She shakes her head, gently reaching a hand up to touch her son's leg softly with her finger, "I've been in this bed for a couple weeks. I'm too tired to do anything and I do nothing except feed the baby and sleep. I eat whatever is brought to me, but I know it isn't enough. I can't make it stop."

"What about sitting where there are other people once in a while?" Provenza can't help it, he gently reaches a hand over to push the hair from the young woman's eyes, "Maybe have Tate take you out one night this week?"

"I don't understand why I feel like this though, Louie."

There weren't many people who he allowed to call him by that name, Quinn Raydor was one of the select few, "Sooner or later, everything will be fine. I promise. Just have to take it one day at a time." He watches her, "Sometimes the things we feel have no explanation. Like with you not liking when people touch you, or how you don't like big crowds, or...loud noises unless it's music that you control."

Quinn smiles softly, "You've figured me out."

"Well..." Provenza shrugs, "What you see is what you get with you."

"What you see is a lunatic."

"Not true. What I see is a beautiful young woman who just needs a little help to find her way, is all."

She clears her throat, nodding. "Is Tate here?"

"Oh, I don't know. I didn't exactly look around when I got here." Provenza shrugs, "When was the last time you showered?" He pauses when he receives a look from her as to ask what it was to him, "You smell pretty terrible."

"I admire your honesty, Louie." Quinn gingerly pushes herself up on the bed to a sitting position, "Fine, I'll...shower, if you stay right here. Don't bail while I'm in there."

"And miss the opportunity to possibly see you naked, never." He teases, "Put on clean pajamas at least."

"I'll spring for sweat pants."

"Moving on up." Provenza smirks, watching as she carefully stands, making her way to the connected bathroom.


	13. Chapter 13

Sharon relaxes on the sofa in her daughter's living room, the lamp dim above her, allowing her only enough light to read. The baby awake on her chest, sucking on a pacifier. He doesn't make any moves to grab the papers from her, just leisurely watching what she's doing. "Rhys, be sure to keep the specifics of this case to yourself. I can't deal with another leak in my department." She smirks, amused with herself.

Slowly opening the door from the bedroom, Quinn takes a few slow steps toward them before leaning on the wall in a vain attempt to keep the attention from herself. She takes in the sight of her mother and son. This looks like a common occurrence, she thinks.

Slowly lowering her papers, she sees the vision of her daughter. "Hello, sweetheart." She places them onto the table, motioning the young woman closer. "Glad to see you out of bed."

"I didn't think you would still be here." After her talk with Lieutenant Provenza, she had just enough energy to shower, but not enough to face everyone in the living room at that time.

"I'm here every night, honey." Sharon adjusts her posture from the lounging on the sofa, to sitting up, a hand moving to the baby's belly as to hold him against her, "Rusty was going to take over for the night, but Rhys just wasn't having it."

Quinn moves closer, taking a seat next to her on the sofa. "Where is Tate?"

"He is asleep with Finn. The boy kept getting up to check on the baby, which kept Rusty from being able to calm Rhys down. I think it's his cologne that made that an issue."

"And Sam?"

"Honey, Sam left a few days ago. He wrote you a letter. It's on my desk at home." Sharon reaches a hand out, placing it onto her daughter's cheek, "I'm so happy you're out of bed."

The young woman offers a faint smile, "I tried...I couldn't do it earlier." Quinn tilts her head to the side, away from her mother's touch, when she realizes the baby is looking at her, "He has his father's eyes."

"Which are a slightly different shade from your own." She continues to stare at her daughter though, "Your eyes sometimes turn this color sometimes. You just don't realize it." When her daughter doesn't respond, she continues. "Is there anything I can do to help you, honey?"

"You've already done more than enough, Mom."

"That doesn't answer the question."

Quinn swallows, "I don't know what you mean." Of course she knows what her mother means. Of course she knows that her mother would do absolutely anything to make sure the young woman felt safe and comfortable in her own skin, in her own home, around her family. "There's nothing."

"Because, you see, there's going to come a day where I won't be able to do this...and Rusty or Sam or even Tate won't be able to be here. I need you to be comfortable enough to be able to watch over the children." Sharon says softly, "I'm not rushing you along. I don't want you to think that. I am, however, asking you if there's anything I can do to help you maneuver the path." She adjusts the boy on her chest, holding him up a little more to face them, "The twins are at school most of the day and you only have this little one to deal with. He simply likes to be held most of the time...I believe it's because he likes the sound of a heartbeat."

"Does he cry when you put him down?"

"Not all the time." The elder of the two shakes her head, "At night, however, he isn't one for the crib yet. Naps, sure. He'll stay in there for a few hours to sleep...as long as Finn doesn't wake him. Overall, though, he doesn't like to be alone."

Quinn smiles softly, reaching a hand up to run her finger along his cheek, "I'm just...I just feel too tired to do anything."

"I understand. How about, while the children are at school tomorrow, I see if I can get you an appointment with my old therapist?" Sharon remains even toned, "I know you don't like to talk much about things, but...let's just try it, okay? I'll even stay in the waiting room if you'd like."

The young woman swallows, "Just coming out of that room was a big step for me today. Can we just-"

"One day at a time, sweetheart. Just tell me how you feel tomorrow." She can tell her daughter is in a mood where she doesn't want to be touched and though it bothers her, she accepts it.

"I want to feel the urge to hold him. He's so beautiful and all I can think of...I don't know. I feel nothing and that's wrong on so many levels." Quinn licks her lips, slight tears forming at her lower eyelid, "I've never loved someone as much as I love Tate and...I just feel numb. Numb in regards to everything."

"I've been there before...and the only way out of that hole is to accept help from those that love you."

"I accept it, but that doesn't mean I can't hate myself for requiring it. If it weren't for you, my kids would starve."

Sharon rolls her eyes, "They would not starve."

"They would be on the street in little boxes with hats turned over, asking for money. Let's be honest though, Harper would be making Finn dance for money while she sang some song she made up at the last second." The young woman teases her mother, "Screeching it at the top of her lungs while wearing a tutu and offering to paint everyone's nails while asking fifty dollars to do so because she has no real concept of money except the difference between having it and not having it."

"We were having a moment and you go and change the subject like that." She attempts to keep a laugh line from her face.

"Because it's the truth, mother." Quinn smiles softly, receiving a playful backhand to the arm from her mother.

_Tate held his girlfriend's hand as they walked about the tree lined path of their nature hike. "I love this. I love being away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This is nice. I mean, we have to be careful because you're...you know, but other than that."_

_Quinn rolled her eyes, "That was almost romantic."_

_He snorted, "You know what I mean." He moves his hand from holding hers, to wrapping around her waist, "It just...makes you realize how insignificant we are."_

"_Don't go all philosophical on me. We're going on a hike, not having existential conversations about the fucking trees and how big they are." She moved from his grasp, taking a deep breath, "Fresh air is nice. That's about it."_

"_How could you say-"_

"_I grew up here and I spent a few years in New York and a couple of other cities when I was younger. I like the city. I like the hustle and bustle you complain about. It relaxes me." She nodded, "You want to talk about insignificance, stand in the middle of Times Square and just look around. Look at all the people constantly moving. Look at the bright screens that were hoisted onto the sides of buildings with the bare hands of humankind, people performing wherever just to maybe catch an ear of someone who can further them along in their pursuits, people from all over the world just coming to sit at the top of the ruby red stairs and to see a show. Not actually doing anything, just looking. Then checking your watch and realizing if you don't book it now, you're going to be late for your next performance."_

_Tate watched as she zoned out slightly, "Performance?"_

_Quinn shook her head quickly, glancing back to him, "A story for another time. Let's just...enjoy this. Shall we?"_

Rusty jogs on the treadmill, ear-buds in his ears, his eyes closed. This, this time to himself, this is what helps him relax. The pounding of his Adidas trainers against the rubber coated belt of the machine, keeping rhythm with his heart, except for the occasional sprints. He's in control.

Tate watches his almost brother-in-law. In his zone. Quinn has always alluded to the fact that Rusty's had a tough past, but will never tell him what happened, he'd never ask. He wonders if it has something to do with why he doesn't look like his siblings. Granted, not all kids have to look exactly like their parents, but Rusty didn't even come close. He takes the treadmill next to the younger man, throwing a towel on top of the monitor. He never likes to know how fast he's going.

Opening his eyes, the younger man wasn't expecting his sister's boyfriend. He trips, nearly falling off the machine before being able to recover himself. He yanks his ear-buds out, "Didn't see you there."

Doing everything in his power not to laugh, Tate tilts his head to the side, "You alright there?"

"Yeah. Needed a break anyway." Rusty pushes the button on the machine for it to turn off, taking his water bottle from it's caddy, "You off today?"

"Yeah," He nods, "Figure it's early enough to do this before I go and take care of the kids. They'd still be sleeping."

"Sharon will probably be on your sofa when you get back up there." He wipes his forehead with the white towel in his hand, "Didn't come home last night."

Tate furrows his brow, "I didn't notice her when I left. I slept in Finn's room. Boy keeps getting up in the middle of the night to check on his brother...sometimes waking him up in the process."

"That's good." Rusty runs his hand through his hair, "Sharon's been exhausted so..."

"I know. I want to do something nice for her since she's done so much for us since Rhys has been born...and even before that."

"Thing is, she wouldn't have it any other way. She'd have done it regardless if you needed her to or not. That's just how she is."

"I know it. Do you have any ideas of what I could possibly do? I mean...I'm here tonight, so she should be okay, but with Quinn still laid up, it's...it's hard." Tate leans an arm against the large machine, "And I can't do anything to help my girlfriend so...it's even harder."

Rusty begins to shake his head, "She's always been a little crazy, man. Like...not in a bad way or anything. Sometimes she doesn't like for people to touch her, Sam says that has something to do with college or something. I don't know though. Point is, you can't take what's going on with Quinn personally."

"I don't take it personally." He answers quickly before giving himself a few minutes to think about the idea, "I just...I can't make her want to hold her son. I can't make her want to spend time with the twins. I can't..." He pauses again, "I can't make her want to talk to me."

"How long has it been since you've really talked to her? Or just...tried to?"

Tate blinks before slowly shaking his head, "Don't know...a week or so." He takes a deep breath, "Shit..."

"Yeah, so..." Rusty watches him a minute before standing from his chair, "It's early and she doesn't like to wake up early anyway. Trained the twins to get up at nine because of it. Nine is early, but not as early as, say, seven. Let's run, then you go upstairs and try to talk to her, alright?"

"I don't know if I can right now."

"Come on. She's never going to marry you if you lose that body of yours." The younger man starts to grin, "If you ever get around to it."

Tate chuckles, "When she gets out of this funk, it's the first thing I plan to do."

_Andy stood in the kitchen of his girlfriend's daughter's apartment, having just reheated some pasta from the night before for himself, using only his one arm, the other in a sling._

"_You know, you can ask for help once in a while." Quinn smiled softly, amused as she watched the man._

"_I thought you were napping."_

_She shook her head slowly as she walked up behind him, helping him, "You have a torn rotator cuff. You're supposed to be taking it easy."_

"_This isn't hard." Andy watched as she took over._

"_Look at you. Pitiful as hell." Quinn motioned to him to go to the living room, "I know you'll be more comfortable on the sofa, so go ahead."_

"_You're bossy, you know that?" When he received a look from her, he continued as he obeyed, "And I appreciate that about you."_

_She hummed a soft laugh, "That's what I thought. Does Nicole put up with this?"_

"_Nah. I just make you do it. I shouldn't...I don't mean to, but you-"_

_There was something in his tone, something she could tell was in the back of his mind that struck a chord with her and she knew exactly what it was, "Can I tell you something?" Quinn pulled the tray table over, careful of her six-month pregnant belly._

_Andy kept his eyes on her, "Yeah."_

"_As you probably know, my father was never there for me. Not really. Not in the capacity that a father should be. He just tried to play at our heartstrings. He always wanted to look like the fun one, the one that wouldn't discipline us, the one that would buy us what we wanted. He didn't care though. At the time, we didn't understand that our mother was working her ass off to provide for us. We didn't know that he would occasionally take something and hock it. We just saw fun dad that would come and go."_

_He waited a moment, watching her, "Are you getting at something here?"_

"_My point is, he didn't try. He still doesn't. He just doesn't care. Sammy and I are old enough now to see that." Quinn leaned back against the sofa as she sat, "Nicole can see that you're trying. She can see that you love her and that she could call you at any time and you'd be there in a heartbeat. She knows you're the same way with your grandkids. You don't have to always be the fun one, or the strong one. You're allowed to show weakness and if she knows that you love her enough to be willing to put those defenses down in front of her, that will only strengthen your relationship."_

_Andy understood exactly what she meant. He swallowed, "Yeah." He answered softly._

"_Same with me. You don't always have to be stubborn as hell. I'll still take care of you, Andy Flynn."_

"_Thanks, kid." He smirked, keeping himself from chuckling._


	14. Chapter 14

Andy makes his way back into the apartment he now shares most of the time with Sharon. Their love for one another was sudden and surprising to both, but it felt natural and they were comfortable around one another. He closes the door behind himself, noticing the living room light on. "Rusty?" He asks, knowing the young man would usually be watching the television on in his room. Upon receiving no answer, he steps in more, looking about before noticing Sharon on the sofa. She looks beautiful so relaxed, he thinks. Helping to take care of her grandchildren has run her ragged.

Sharon slowly rolls onto her back with a yawn before opening her eyes a little, "What time is it?" She looks toward his figure, allowing her eyes to adjust as much as they can before she puts her glasses on.

"About ten. When did you get home?"

She clears her throat, seeing the light on, but noticing the sunlight radiating through the windows. Sharon slips her tortoise rimmed glasses over her nose and smiles toward him. "Around eight. Where have you been?"

"Went to get coffee. Ended up seeing one of my old partner's at the shop, didn't think you'd be home to drink coffee with me anyway, so I sat with him. He's retired." Andy nods, "Everything alright with Quinn?"

Sharon nods slowly, "She came out of the bedroom." A soft smile plays at the corner of her mouth, her eyes watering.

"Oh, Sharon, that's great." He watches her a bit, taking in her response as he slowly moves around the sofa to sink next to her, "You don't seem too thrilled."

"I am, I just...I didn't think she'd ever come out."

"Of course she would." Andy gently rubs her leg with his well arm, "We would have starved her out next."

Sharon starts to giggle softly, taking hold of his hand when he offers it to her, "Starve her out, what about Rhys feeding?"

"He could take a bottle. The kid would be fine." He teases, "However, you're here and you get to relax now."

"All I want to do is sleep."

Andy chuckles, kissing her knuckles softly after bringing them to his lips, "And here I was going to offer a week away."

"I just want to get back to work." Sharon reaches her newly-kissed hand to stroke his cheek, "And to spend time with you."

The room falls quiet as they revel in their closeness before he mutters, "I love you, Sharon."

She gazes up toward him before offering a soft smile, "I love you too."

"_Sharon, listen to me-"_

"_No, Jack, I'm finished listening to you." The young woman ran her hand through her hair before folding her arms, "I've been poked and prodded by doctors just to see if this baby is going to be healthy and you aren't anywhere to be found during it all."_

_Jack shook his head slightly, "They think something's wrong?"_

_Sharon shrugged, moving away from him, toward the kitchen, "They aren't sure." Her voice was small, "What do you care?"_

"_I care. Of course I care."_

"_No, you don't."_

"_I just..." Jack lifted his hands up, at a loss for words, "I don't know what you want me to say. Nothing is going to be what you want it to be."_

"_I don't want you to say anything." She cleared her throat, looking up to him, "Not a single thing. I just want you to decide whether or not you want to be here or not."_

"_Be here for you?" He licked his lips, "Of course I do."_

"_Then do it, Jackson!"_

Gently closing the front door to his daughter's condo behind him, he turned on his heel, instantly confronted with the young woman holding a baseball bat in her hand. "Well...Quinn..."

Quinn strengthens her jaw, keeping the bat at a confrontational height, "What do you want?"

Jack straightens his back, watching her, "To see you...and my grandchildren."

"Oh?" She glances around, catching the time on the clock hanging on the wall, "It's past eleven." Moving closer to her father, the young woman inhales deeply, "You're drunk."

"I'm not drunk."

"You smell like whiskey."

He exhales dramatically, "One drink does not make me drunk."

Quinn shakes her head, "No, but ten do."

"Baby, I-"

"You're going to sleep this off. I don't want you around my children like this." She motions to her sofa, the expression on her face neutral, "I don't want you around Tate like this, or even Mom. Thankfully, Sammy isn't here."

"Why bring up your brother?" Jack shakes his head, furrowing his brow a little as he removes his jacket, letting it fall to the floor.

"Why bring up anyone, right?" Quinn pushes her hand through her hair, before lifting his jacket with the end of the bat, "Jackson doesn't want to hear about it. Answer me something though, would you?" When he hums, indicating he's listening to her, she continues, "Why do you always come to me?"

"You're my baby girl. You're my first born."

"No, no, no. That's not why at all." Hanging her father's jacket on the coat rack, she strolls over toward him, pushing the bat tip to his chest and pushing him back on the sofa, "You come here because I allow you to. Mom has changed the locks, as she should have, since Andy is there more often. He's amazing, by the way. Better than you ever were."

Jack chuckles a little, "How about that."

"Yes, he is. Know why?" When he tries to stand, Quinn pushes him back down with the baseball bat, "Because he is a recovering alcoholic. He recognized that he had a problem and he decided to better himself."

"Just a regular knight in shining armor." He hisses, growing visibly angry.

"Yes, because while you were rushing your ass back to Vegas or some seedy fucking apartment in LA, he was here for my children and I. He is the one who ignored his own pain to get my to the hospital when Rhys was on his way into the world. Not you. Yes, you visited, but...I want my father here. My children want you here."

"No one wants me here, Quinn." Jack glares slightly, "You have Andy now. You don't care about me. Same with your mother."

"Oh, woe is me. That routine? Come on, Jackson." She pushes him with the bat a little, nothing too hurtful, just a nudge. "Come on."

"You're angry with me."

"No, I'm disappointed in you." When she sees the man roll his eyes, she continues, "I am. I'm disappointed that you can't ever hold a fucking promise, Jack. In all my years of life, 'yeah, honey, I'll be at your recital' or 'Oh, you have a showing? I'll be there for you, sweetheart'. However, none of it was ever true. So, what have you to gain from disappointing everyone who has ever given a shit about you?"

Jack meets her eyes, "You wouldn't understand even if I tried."

"Try me." Quinn gazes into him more intensely, "I just got out of bed today...I mean...really got out. It's the first day I've truly held my son on my own...or even wanted to, without passing him off a moment later. We all wanted you here. All of us, even Tate and Rusty, who you don't even bother attempting to get to know." She smirks bitterly, "So, tell me why I should care about any promise you're about to make."

"I love your mother."

"You've a funny way of showing it."

"I want to be able to provide for her. I mean, really provide. I'm a lawyer and she usually makes more money than I do." He speaks with his hands slightly, "If I can't provide, she won't ever want me."

Quinn can hear the sincerity in his voice and instantly feels sorry for the man, "That ship has sailed. You're divorced. You could have tried to remain friends, but it seems you're doing everything in your power to even keep that from happening."

"I just need her to...to need me sometime."

"She did...you weren't there." She runs a hand through her hair, lowering the bat from pointing toward his chest, "You could get better for you. Better yourself before worrying about significant others. Sounds like a novel idea, doesn't it? I mean, I didn't start writing to people while I was in prison or even in the months after I arrived back home, no. I made sure I was sorted mentally and physically before I even tried. I believe you can do that too."

"You some sort of life coach now?" Jack grumbles, folding his arms.

"If I have to be. If that's what it takes you to listen." Quinn offers him a smile finally, "No one here cares about how much money you will ever have as long as you appreciate the non-monetary people in your life."

He falls silent a moment, the information sinking in, "Where do I start?"

"_It isn't about starting or finishing, it's about doing it properly." Sharon placed her hands on her hips, watching as her husband painted the nursery, "It's pale yellow on all four walls and white on the trim and ceiling. Proper precautions will make-"_

"_Proper precautions and we wouldn't have gotten into this mess." A young, brunette haired Jack ran his large brush against the corner of the wall, "Relax, Sharon. It's easy to cover up." When he hears her sigh dramatically, "Besides, you aren't even supposed to be in here with the fumes and all."_

"_This room is well ventilated and I'm in the doorway, not completely in the room." She offers him a smile, "Really, Jack, be careful with what you're doing. Our daughter doesn't want a room with paint drips everywhere."_

"_It's going to be a boy."_

"_We've already gone over this." Sharon folds her arms across her chest, "The Doctor's scan said a female fetus. They're able to show those things now."_

"_Yeah, I'm still in denial though." Jack's rough voice over such a simple topic still causes chills to run up her spine, "No girls."_

"_What's so bad about having a girl?"_

"_I'm going to have to worry about her more...especially if she's anything like you. Headstrong, smart as hell, beautiful." He sits back a moment, taking a sip from his can of beer, "Yep, sums you up perfectly."_

"_I'll take the compliment." Sharon grins, "If you need me, I'll be in the den."_

Andy holds her closely against his well side, his fingers gently massaging her lower back. She appears so comfortable, he thinks, he doesn't want to wake her. However, he knows she'll get off on the wrong foot if he doesn't. Her deep breath intake lets him know of her stirring. "Good morning, beautiful."

Sharon sweetly smiles, her head against him. "Good morning. What time is it?"

"Little after ten. I know it's later than what you like, but it's earlier than noon."

She hums a soft noise in agreement, "I've slept nearly twelve hours."

"Well, you were tired. When you're tired, you should sleep." Andy grins, "And I didn't want to bother you because you look so damn comfortable. I have to do those exercises on this arm."

"If I didn't love you and want you to get better, I'd stay here all day." Sharon rolls back, a smirk playing at the corner of her lip, "However, I'm proud of you for taking care of your responsibilities."

"That's me...Mister Responsibility." He can hear her giggle from behind him as he slowly rises from the bed.

"I'm going to make coffee."

"No, you're going to watch and make sure I live up to my name."

"And if I am?" Sharon rises from her side of the bed, following behind him closely.

"Your eyes would be on me. Can't say that's a bad thing." Andy stops abruptly, turning and capturing her lips against his own.


	15. Chapter 15

Head is pounding. Room is bright. Body is heavy. He slowly begins to open his eyes, a blurred mess before him. His mouth tastes of stale alcohol. It feels as if he's being watched. Jackson groans slowly as he brings his hands to his face, rubbing the stubble with his palms. He attempts to make out the figure standing before him. "Something about you is familiar."

Sharon hums, nodding slowly, "I'd hope so." Her arms are folded, her voice deep.

Jack sighs, moaning as he lowers his hands, "What happened to Quinn?"

"She was freshly out of bed...needing some bonding time with her son." She nods, taking a seat in the oversized chair across from the sofa, "She's at my place."

"You...switched places?"

"No, but she alerted me to the night you had and I'm quite curious as to why you come here now." Sharon tilts her head to the side, "You don't believe she has has enough on her platter as it is?"

"I remember a bat...Was there a bat?" Jack slowly edges himself up on the couch to a sitting position.

"I don't know, but if there was, be thankful she didn't beat you over the head with it." She folds her legs at the knees.

"It's always violence with you."

"That isn't true." Sharon shakes her head, "However, she did say you were here and she didn't have the energy or patience to deal with you. So, why are you drinking this time?"

"I'm an alcoholic, Sharon. I don't need a reason to drink." He answers quietly, glancing around, "Where's the other ones?"

"Other ones?"

"The...the twins and that boyfriend."

"Work and school." She nods, "Jack, I want you to listen to me-"

"We're divorced. One of the benefits of that is that I don't have to listen to you." Jack shakes his head before glancing up to her with an amused smirk.

"Cute." Sharon leans forward, "Listen to me. Our children are fed up with your constant coming and going. Quinn more so now than before because of her children, your grandchildren, who you have neglected in recent years. When you do visit, you're oftentimes intoxicated or negative to your family."

"I'm horrible. I know."

"Quiet. That isn't what I'm saying." She speaks with her hands slightly, "They're all willing to give you a chance if you're willing to seek rehabilitation for your issues."

"Rehab?" Jack laughs loudly, "I don't need fucking rehab."

"Yes, Jackson, you do." Sharon's voice is calm as she reaches over to gently touch his knee, "There are a lot of things you must come to terms with and clear your animosity of those things. I know you can do it. I know that, deep down in your soul, you love your children with all of your heart...You just don't know how to properly show it. I understand that. I just don't think that you do."

He falls quiet for a few moments, tears brimming his eyes, "Get out of my head, Shar." He attempts to keep his voice strong toward her, but he knows out of everyone in the world, she knows him the best.

"It's your decision. Either you go to rehab for an extended-"

"Come on!"

"Just a month at most."

"A month is a long time, Sharon. That's ridiculous." Jack shakes his head, standing angrily.

"A month...or you lose everyone and everything that has ever meant anything to you." Sharon nods, "You decide. I will be more than happy to take you where you need to go...regardless of the decision you make." Her tone remains calm, attempting to recapture his attention through the conversation.

"Why are you being nice to me with this? I seem to remember a lot of yelling any time I-"

"Would you rather I not be nice to you?

"_It's easier being away...being alone. You know that?" He spoke quietly, an arm wrapped around her as they lied in bed together, "Before I met you, I only had to worry about myself."_

"_I'm so sorry to take your __bachelor__ tendencies-" Sharon began, having just moved into the man's apartment a week before._

"_That's not what I mean. I don't...It isn't in a negative way. I just love the hell out of you, Shar. I'd kill someone if anything were to happen to you." Jack softly kissed her bare shoulder._

"_Resorting to violence is never the answer." A smirk played at her lips._

"_Not a suitable answer for you, maybe, but for me...No one would ever get away with hurting you."_

_She rolled over to face him, "I can take care of myself, you know. I'm able to protect myself." Sharon paused, bringing her hand to rest on his cheek, "However, I do appreciate the sentiment."_

Rusty walks out from the kitchen, "Hey, you hungry?" He smiles to his sister as she relaxes on the sofa, watching the television. "I made stir fry."

"You made stir fry?" Quinn's eyebrow perks up some.

"Yeah. I'll bring it in here. We won't tell Mom that we're eating on the sofa." He grins more, "I once tested her limits by standing in front of the sofa with a sandwich...I do it often now. It amuses her."

"If we hear the door open, we'll stand up."

Rusty gives her a look, "Deal." He returns to the kitchen, obtaining a plate of food, "Baby's still asleep?"

"Yeah, I put him on Mom's bed." Quinn smiles softly, "He's incredibly adorable. I haven't noticed all this time."

He shrugs, "I mean, you're really pretty and Tate is a good looking guy."

"Don't tell me that you have a crush on my boyfriend too."

"It's hard not to." Rusty sits next to her on the sofa, holding the plate of food in front of his face, "You guys are more than boyfriend and girlfriend anyway. I don't have a crush on your boyfriend, I have a crush on your partner. There's a difference."

She raises an eyebrow, "Are you an expert on the subject now? The what-to-call-your-relationship expert?" Quinn shakes her head, "He wouldn't want to marry me anymore anyway. I'm gross. I made him be the sole caregiver, with my mother, to my children for weeks, all the while I stayed in bed and slept...and didn't take a shower unless Mom told me to take one. I was a mess."

"What made you snap out of it?"

"Don't know." She answers quickly, "Just...just felt a little better. I think I may take Mom up on the therapy thing though. I think it might be good for me...as the mother of three kids...may help me keep my head on straight."

Rusty gently touches her forearm, "And if you ever need to, I'm always here for you too. You know that, right?"

"Of course, you're my baby brother. I'll dump all my random problems on you whether you like it or not."

"No, you'd rather suffer alone than to drag anyone else down." He knows her all too well, much like her mother, "Rather do things by your lonesome than even let anyone else know about them."

Quinn nods, "This is true."

"You should try to stop that though. I mean, it didn't end very well for you before. I'm sure your therapist will try to help you with that when you go to one." Rusty shrugs, "You have great kids and you want to take care of everything on your own, which is totally understandable. However, you now have Tate, who really has taken care of the twins and is so incredibly in love with you...so...I've never seen anything like it before. I mean...not with a boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Me either." She speaks honestly, a sad smirk at her lips. The young woman shakes her head a little, "So...yeah."

"So let him. You want to make up for the time since-" He shrugs, "And it's okay. Rhys is a baby. He doesn't know. He has to learn or something. Plus, you have his whole life...like, a really cool life. You work in PR, I don't know what PR people do, but...and you're doing painting things and..."

"Public Relations. I make sure people sound good to the public...I help a person or company build, enhance, and protect their relationships with the public through media..." Quinn smiles a little, "I could take you to a thing sometime if you'd like."

"I'm still not really sure what any of that is." Rusty lifts a forkful of food to his lips, taking a bite, "But the art stuff...that's what you really love. Go back to doing what you love. Focus on that."

"Easier said than done."

"Your showing a few years ago did really well. A few prospects. People really like your stuff. They were willing to-"

"It isn't about the money, Rusty." Quinn shakes her head slowly, "It was never about the money. I didn't even want to-"

The young man furrows his brow, "Why not?"

"Because they were women with stories, faces, lives that they've...and I was showing them off for what? For fame? For attention? For...nothing. I showed them off for nothing. They were all so beautiful, those women, even the ones with the unibrows and mustaches. All of them." She motions to her mother's room, where her son is asleep, "Some of them will never have the chance to create that...never have the chance to start a family or get their families back."

"You feel guilty." Rusty shakes his head, "You still write to them. They aren't able to do the things you've been able to do. Don't you think they'd love to be where you are in your life? Why feel guilty instead of living the life they're not able to?"

Quinn releases a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, "This conversation escalated quickly." She looks to him, "Sorry."

"_Why are you apologizing?" The older woman in an orange jumpsuit glanced to her, shaking her head. _

_The young woman picked her head up, wiping a tear from trickling down her cheek, "I just...I'm so emotional when I think of them. You shouldn't have to see that."_

_The other woman sits on the cot next to her, "Never apologize for showing your feelings. You're doing nothing wrong." The woman had a thick Slavic accent, she placed her calloused hand on her roommate's back. "Women in your country do that often. Apologizing for nothing."_

"_I miss them."_

"_And you're allowed to miss them. They are so small." She nodded, "Let me see." When the younger woman lowered the picture for the other to see, a grin made it's way across her face, "They are beautiful."_

"_Thank you." Quinn nodded slowly._

"_Is that your sister with them?"_

_She giggled softly, "She'll love to hear that, but it's my mother."_

"_You have good genes, girl." The woman motions to the picture, "Put it up. Be proud of where you come from."_

"_The others don't-"_

"_Fuck them."_

Andy stands in the doorway, watching as the woman works at her desk for a moment. "See? Told you that the paperwork wasn't all that bad."

"That you did." Sharon picks her head up from the file she's focused on, glancing to the man. "I don't know if I'm going to last all day here though." She offers him a tired smile.

"So leave when you want to...one of the perks of being the boss." He enters more, closing the door behind him, "How'd it go?"

"He went." She folds her arms, leaning back in the chair and watching him walk about the room, "Shockingly."

"It's what he needs." Andy slides his hands into his pockets, shrugging his shoulders, "Some guys need that extra help...and to feel like they aren't alone in the world. He'll be fine. Just send him letters and stuff."

"Didn't think you'd suggest sending my ex-husband letters." Her head tilts back more with amusement as he stands above her, "I didn't tell the kids I was stopping in. Quinn knows I'm taking care of her father. She called me last night."

"And?"

"Well...she had just gotten out of bed. So...it was a big day for her yesterday, and for her father to show up drunk a few hours later..."

Andy nods slowly, "I understand completely."

Sharon swallows, attempting to keep her emotions at bay, "It's always something, Andy."

"Yeah, but if there wasn't anything going on, you'd be worried." He sits on the edge of her desk, watching her as he speaks with his hands, "You've got three great kids, three awesome grandkids, a beautiful home, and you've got me. Sure, shit happens, but our love and allegiance to you never wavers. Just remember that you don't need to take care of everything alone. We can help one another."

She reaches, taking hold of his hand, "Thank you."

Andy shrugs, "It's all shit you should know, babe." He leans down, pecking her lips tenderly, pulling apart when he hears the door open.

"Oh, come on. You two practically live together already, can't you leave it there?" Provenza grumbles, scowling toward the couple, "Tao found something. Think you can break apart from one another long enough to actually work?"

"How do you know all of that, Lieutenant?" Sharon grins, slowly standing as she looks to the other man.

"I know things." He nods.

"Quinn told him." Andy nods.

"I know." She pats her partner's arm, following the older man back to the Murder Room.


	16. Chapter 16

"You did what?" Quinn stands in front of her own coffee table, staring at the couple as they sit on her sofa, "Please, tell me you're joking."

Sam smiles, "Vegas is a hell of a place."

"It felt so...so right." The young woman speaks.

Quinn licks her lips, nodding slowly, "And how long were the two of you dating before that?"

"A week." Caroline, the young woman gripping Sam Raydor's hand, answers truthfully, "I told Samuel that maybe we should wait or...maybe have a bigger ceremony, but...he insisted. When in Rome...and it was my first time ever to Las Vegas."

Sam nods, "Quinnie, Caroline dances. You went to college together. She still dances with the company...didn't drop out like other people."

"I thought that was because of an injury." Rusty offers from his place across from the pair, a tray table in front of him as he attempts to sort through paperwork.

"It was." Quinn nods to him, "Sam...I'm...I'm happy for you. Of course I remember Caroline, she's great. It's just a shock. I'm having a hard time processing. It's a pleasure seeing you again, Caroline. I just wish it were sooner...and under different circumstances. However, I expect no different from my brother."

"Golden boy Rusty would never pull a stunt like this." Sam nods to his wife, motioning to his younger brother jokingly.

"He actually gave me a shirt for my birthday last year that said Golden Boy on it...it's a really nice shirt." Rusty nods, going through paperwork.

Quinn rolls her eyes at her brothers' antics, taking a seat across from the couple, "Have you spoken to Mom yet?"

"No, actually." Sam raises his eyebrows, "She's probably going to kill me, but...we're having fun...we're happy. I've...I've never seen someone dance like that. Not since you and...it was different then. We understand one another. We laugh at one another. We love one another." He pauses, "Mom is going to be pissed."

"Yeah." She sighs softly when she hears the baby begin to cry, "If you'll excuse me, I'd better get that." The young mother briskly walks away from the group.

Rusty can feel the tension in the room still, "I think you guys...need to talk to Mom more."

"What?" Sam furrows his brow, looking to his little brother.

"Sharon is going to be happy for you. She'll question the rush and the reason, but...she isn't going to be angry. Upset that you didn't include her, sure, but...not angry." He leans back in the chair, putting the tray table aside. "And Caroline, I don't want you to think we don't like you. I mean...you guys are married. You're going to be around for a long time, hopefully. I can't wait to get to know you more. Seriously."

Caroline smiles to him, "Thank you, Rusty."

"I've...I've been an idiot for too long. I tried being happy and with someone for a while...and I really did love him, but...he and I didn't work. We weren't compatible. Same with Amanda. Which...that lasted a while, but she wasn't for me. With Caroline, I feel like I've been reborn. Like...I am truly happy. Plus, my dogs love her." Sam nods, "Being a recovering alcoholic, stability comes far and few between and...finding it in someone so genuine...I'm incredibly lucky."

"I think that's the real reason he married me...is the dogs." She nods.

"And you just...you fit. It feels like we've been together for way longer than what we have."

Rusty nods, "Cool."

Quinn returns, the cubby infant in her arm, "Someone didn't want to feel left out."

"So, when were you finally able to get out of bed?" Sam holds his hands out for his younger nephew, holding him closely once he takes him into his arms.

"Few days ago. It's simple being here with Rhys, alone. The twins are at school and it's...it's calm during the day. It's nice that way. I think it's helped me adjust back into the swing of things." She explains.

"Oh, he's just the cutest." Caroline reaches a hand over, gently stroking the infant's soft hair, "You have three children, Quinn?"

"I do, yes. Twins, Harper and Finn, and there's Rhys here." Quinn returns to her seat.

"I've been trying to talk Samuel into moving closer to his family. He talks about the kids all the time. I'd like to be around them too. Maybe babysit sometimes." The newest addition to the Raydor family comments, "My family is closeby as well. So, it would work out both ways. I'm going to leave the company soon."

"Oh? Why?"

"I'm the third oldest female performer in the particular group I'm with." Caroline shrugs, "Maybe teach a dancing class instead. Start my own instruction center for kids."

"Oh, that'd be so cool." Quinn grins, "If you need an assistant, I would totally be up for that. To be honest with you, I miss it a lot."

"I thought you liked painting more." Rusty furrows his brow.

"I do, but.. kids make both impossible...as does my day job. If a dance class were to take off, I wouldn't mind it too much. I'd leave the PR scene to do that."

"Would you really?"

"In a heartbeat."

Rusty nods slowly, "Wasn't expecting that."

"Maybe we have something here." Caroline smirks.

"_The man was attacking me-" The 30-something year old officer attempted to come up with a reason for her not to be there. Officer related, sure, but this was open and shut._

"_This boy had no weapons on him whatsoever." Sharon stands over the body of a young man, "He was gunned down by you, a caucasian police officer, for what..." She pauses, "Because this is a fourteen year old boy and you continually refer to him as a man, Sargent."_

_The young man shook his head, "Nah, you've got it all wrong. He stole-"_

"_A bag of chips. This young boy stole a bag of chips because he was hungry. We aren't even able to find his home...or if he even had one. He was getting away from you, so what, you shot him over a bag of chips?"_

"_Damn it..."_

Sharon checks her texts as she walks about the Murder Room. Seeing one from her younger son, claiming there's big news, she immediately calls him.

"Hey." Rusty picks his phone up, hiding in the bathroom of his sister's apartment.

"Something wrong, Sweetheart?" She tucks her hair behind her ear.

"Well...define wrong."

"Rusty-" Sharon rolls her eyes, leaning her back up against the wall in the hallway.

"Listen, It's big news, and it isn't even my big news. However, I need to give you a heads up on it before you get home so you aren't bombarded or whatever." Rusty shakes his head, turning the faucet on, "I know you've been stressed lately."

Sharon can feel herself growing increasingly nervous, "How bad is it?"

"Know that trip to Vegas that Sam went on? Well, he took his most recent hook up with him. They got married while they were there."

"He did what?" Her voice at a hushed, surprised tone as she listens, "Please, tell me you're joking."

"I wouldn't risk shunning from my siblings if I were. So, I don't know if you want to bring Andy over for the emotional support, but you're going to need it. She seems nice though. Super nice."

"Oh no." Sharon closes her eyes, shaking her head.

"Her name is Caroline. Apparently used to go to college with Quinn."

"Caroline." She attempts to search her brain for any of her daughter's friends during that time. At least the ones her daughter allowed her to know, "Wait, blonde hair, green eyes, light freckles across her nose?"

"Yeah, you know her?" Rusty folds his arms, speaking into the phone, still being held by one of his hands.

"I do...okay, this could be okay then. I can handle this a bit better." Sharon nods, sighing heavily, "Sam has a habit of acting before he thinks about the ramifications."

"Yeah. At least she's trying to talk him into moving closer. That's good, right?"

_Sharon relaxes on the sofa in the living room of their small apartment, her infant daughter in her arms, feeding from her breast, "Jack, we can't live in a college town for our whole life. We have to think about our daughter now."_

"_Sharon, that'd be stupid to move just because we have a kid." Jack sat at the kitchen table, books and papers spread over the top, "Think about it."_

"_I've never been too sure how you were able to obtain a two bedroom in the first place, but the second room is no more than a closet. She needs a place to grow."_

"_She can't even sit up yet, much less walk. Where do you want her to grow to?"_

_Sharon sighed softly, "After I begin school, I'd like for us to get an actual house. We should be able to with your salary once you start practicing." She always hated this, having to rely on someone else so much just to live day to day, "I mean, work at the Police Station isn't awful, but it isn't permanent. I make enough for us to obtain food...and pay a little bit of the rent..."_

"_Don't worry about the rent. This place is fine for a while, Sharon." Jack grumbled._

"_I do though, Jack. I worry about all of it because you don't seem to."_

"_I have it covered, alright?" He picked his head up, glancing to her, "Sharon, It's fine. Everything is fine. That's why they call me Lucky Jack. I always have everything under control when it comes to dough, Shar."_

Andy strolls into his girlfriend's office, closing the door behind himself. He notices the soothing water sounds coming from her small stereo as he sees the woman sitting on the floor, legs crossed. "Sharon." When she hushes him, he sits on the floor as well, not far from her, "What are you-"

"Almost finished." Sharon opens her eyes as the music fades away, her skirt pushed up, "Sorry for shushing you."

"Meditating during the day? That's a new one for you. Thought you only did that before bed."

"I usually do."

"Something happen?" Of course it did. He can see it in her eyes that something happened, "We should get off this floor. You with a wrinkled skirt, God only knows what they're going to say out there."

"Sam's home." Sharon doesn't move, her eyes slowly focusing on his face, her glasses resting atop her desk.

Andy raises an eyebrow, "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Usually." She sucks her lips into her mouth a moment, biting them. She releases them, continuing, "My elder son isn't exactly known for making good decisions. He's impulsive like his father was at that age...it worries me most times. However, this one takes the cake."

"What did he do?" He stands, offering her a hand to help her up as well.

Sharon accepts his offer, rising from the floor slowly, brushing her hand down her skirt, "He got married to a woman he was only dating for a week."

Andy chuckles slowly, "How'd you find that out?"

"Rusty called and told me." She places her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side to look at him sternly, "Andy, this isn't a laughing matter."

"Of course it is. Could you imagine him doing anything else except getting married to someone he hardly knows?"

"My imagination doesn't matter."

"Sure it does." Andy folds his arms, "You just said it yourself, that he's impulsive like Jack was at that age. Wasn't Jack impulsive enough with you?"

"We had reasons." Sharon shakes her head, "I pray his reasons aren't the same as our own. I don't believe they would be, seeing as they've only been dating for a week."

"Relax, Sharon. Maybe it could be one of the best things to happen to him. Maybe it's just a run of the mill Vegas marriage and they'll go back in a week to get a Vegas divorce." He offers her a soft smile, "Sure, it was impulsive and stupid to most...to us, but...let him figure it out."

She pauses, tucking her hair behind her ear. She reaches for her glasses, slowly sliding them back onto her face, "So, what do you suppose I do?"

"Nothing."

Sharon furrows her brow, glancing back up to his eyes, "Do nothing?"

"Act like it's nothing out of the ordinary. If it bothers him, that's his problem at that point." Andy raises his brow, "Think about it."

She nods very slowly, indicating she understands exactly what he means. "Let my children make their own mistakes."

"Pretty much."

"If I allowed that with my daughter to do just that years ago, she would be dead."

"Within reason, Sharon." He shrugs, "You deserve your own time to be happy."

"That's a recurring-" Sharon shakes her head a little, "Every time I try to, something else happens. I'm not unhappy about the things that have..." She closes her eyes a moment, swallowing, "The sequences of life that have occurred within my family these past few years, the things that have shaped us...most aren't for the faint of heart. However, I..."

"You're afraid." Andy watches her more intently, "What are you afraid of?"

She swallows, not wanting to expose herself to him in that capacity. She loves Andy wholeheartedly and maybe her fears are unfounded. Jack has always made her doubt herself, their conversation in the car being no different. Not knowing how to answer the man in front of her, or even knowing if she wants to at that moment, Sharon captures his lips with her own in a deep kiss. The answers to his questions can wait another day.


End file.
